Nameless
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: [Dark Magic AU]. Stolen away from those she loves, with naught in life but a witch and a friend, and pleading to hell or heaven above, may not save her from her end.
1. Prologue: Wayward Shadows

**I'm calling this Dark Magic AU. You'll surely have a lot of questions, so please feel free to ask and I'll answer whatever I can afford to at the time.**

 **This is for Haley's birthday, since she likes this sort of thing (and Cinder, haha). It was supposed to be just 5 chapters or so, but overall it's going to be 10 now, each chapter varying in length.**

 **WARNINGS for kidnapping, emotional/psychological and physical abuse.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

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Nameless

Prologue: Wayward Shadows

It wasn't fair.

Life never seemed to be – not to Cinder.

Every godforsaken day, she was forced to walk the very same streets of the very same town, her feet taking her to the very same marketplace on the very same street.

And every day, she was forced to watch the life she could never have.

Because everyone around her had it.

It was infuriating, depressing, and unfair.

Couples of all kinds held hands and shared kisses on the street corners and as they saw one another off for work in the morning. She saw it every day, and it sickened her, made her stomach twist and twist until she longed to retch blood.

The ones with the animal ears and tails sickened her the most.

And the children.

Almost all of them had children.

Happy, foolish little things, too blissful to care about danger, too young and naive to know fear.

Forty years was long enough, though she appeared to be only twenty.

She'd waited her fair share of time. She deserved a little something for her trouble.

So one rainy morning, she set out to take it for herself.

Hidden beneath a cloak of dark crimson, she glided through the streets like a wayward shadow without a person to connect itself to, unattended and unrestrained. Her eyes glared through the passerby predatorily, hunting what she sought.

As she moved, she never touched a soul, never brushed past a single being, going unnoticed by all of the blissfully unaware.

Until she'd found her target.

The second she laid eyes upon the family, her lips took on a wicked, upward curl.

A man probably just three decades old stood beneath the shelter of a building's overhang, browsing produce. He had a daughter at the end of each hand, his large fingers wrapped around much tinier ones.

They couldn't have been older than five years of age.

And yet, there was no mother to be found.

The man was covered in a light sprinkle of rainwater, his suit's shoulders dampened and dark. The poor soul couldn't even hold an umbrella for himself with the children there.

In retrospect, Cinder was doing him a favor.

She waited, deathly still, like a panther on the prowl, waiting for her prey to make that one fatal mistake.

The two girls giggled gleefully as they tugged their father's hands. The one with misty-grey hair strained onto her tip-toes and tried to peer over the wagon's edge to look at the fruit for sale, while the other used her free hand to pull her striking white tresses over her shoulder.

Cinder knew which one she wanted.

It would only be a matter of time.

Still she waited – stagnant – like a rock amongst the flow of a river, hundreds of other people passing by between herself and her target.

And then it happened.

That fatal mistake.

The lonely father decided to make a purchase, and in order to point out his choices, he was forced to let go of one of his daughter's hands.

It was only for a few seconds, but it was more than enough time.

Cinder darted forward, weaving between the various other moving bodies like a spider on its own web – undeterred.

And then she was close enough to fit perfectly into the man's shadow.

He didn't even notice.

No one did.

Not until it was too late.

She reached forward, taking the wrist of the little white-haired girl who was still waiting for her father's hand again.

Like a thief in the night, Cinder snatched her away. Only, _she_ was skilled enough to do it in broad daylight.

She pushed a palm to the girl's mouth to silence her, lifting her easily off the ground and into her arms. The cloak fell forward around Cinder's shoulders, concealing her prize as she hurried away once again.

It was only seconds later when she heard the panicked shouting of a terrified father, and the entire crowd was soon in chaos behind her.

But Cinder kept running, the child now limp and unconscious in her arms.

She slunk back to her dark mansion and slipped inside unnoticed. She would need to act quickly, before the girl woke again.

Cinder took her to a room she hadn't visited in several years, a room with a small bed, blue walls, and soft, colorful things.

She'd had no use for it until now.

She'd finally found someone who could occupy it.

She laid the girl down on the bed, catching a glimpse of her pretty face for the first time – round cheeks, flawless white skin, and hair of a similar color.

She'd gotten the one she'd wanted.

But Cinder regretted she would need to mar that perfect complexion.

She caressed her precious face for a moment, the smiling never leaving her lips. She wanted to remember what it looked like now, before she would be forced to damage it.

Then, with one index finger, she positioned the tip of her nail just above the girl's left eyebrow.

Cinder pushed down, until she punctured the skin, producing a small trail of blood. She dragged her finger downward, over the girl's eye and down to the top of her cheek, cutting all the while.

The girl didn't wake from the pain, because Cinder didn't let her. She was in control right now, and with a ounce of forbidden magic, she reached into the little girl's memories.

And she took them.

She took every last one of them, extracting them, then letting them die.

One by one.

Until her father wasn't her father anymore.

Until her sister wasn't her sister anymore.

Cinder stole everything, until she herself was the only thing left.

The spell completed, Cinder took a step back, gazing fondly down at her new daughter. The pink scar remained over her eye, a permanent reminder to Cinder about what she had just done, but she was determined to never regret it.

She tucked the girl in tenderly, cushioning her head with a pillow, and placing a kiss on her forehead like any mother would.

Then, Cinder left the room, bound for her own quarters.

Outside, she could hear sirens blaring in the distance, police radios echoing incoherently. And in the back of her mind, she could still hear the father's distraught shouts.

But Cinder pushed the thoughts away and reminded herself of the good she'd done tonight.

She'd rescued the girl from a life where her father likely only had the time and energy for one daughter anyway.

She'd rescued a father from the stress and responsibility of caring for two children.

And most importantly, she'd taken the first step to fulfilling her own dream.

Cinder had done everyone a favor tonight.

She refused to believe otherwise.

* * *

 **A/N: This fic will consist of 10 more chapters and will be updated once or twice a month depending on my fanfic schedules, so keep an eye out!** **You can support me on under the name Kiria Alice to read future chapters early!**

 **Ch 1 preview:** ** _The hallways were always cold inside, and Weiss had never understood why. There were a few windows around the mansion, most of which were covered by dark curtains that Cinder forbade her from moving._**

 ** _"People can see you through those," Cinder had told her. "Don't let them see you. Ever."_**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	2. Chapter 1 - A New Arrival

**The first several chapters of the story will focus on Weiss' younger years with Cinder. This one is mainly told from her point of view.**

 **A/N: I tried to keep the vocabulary and word choice basic, especially when it's told from Weiss' point of view. I want to give those parts a childish, innocent feeling as opposed to Cinder's parts. Also, the majority of this chapter is just world-building and explaining past events, hence the past-tense wording.**

 **WARNINGS for mental/physical/psychological abuse.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 1. A New Arrival

The hallways were always cold inside, and Weiss had never understood why.

There were a few windows around the mansion, most of which were covered by dark curtains that Cinder forbade her from moving.

"People can see you through those," Cinder had told her. "Don't let them see you. Ever."

But one window – the one in Weiss' own room – faced a forest, and that was the only window of the mansion that wasn't constantly covered by curtains.

So Weiss was allowed to look out through the glass, and outside, she could often see for herself that the days were bright and sunny and warm.

So why was it always so _cold_ inside?

She didn't know, but when she'd asked Cinder one day, the response had been a disinterested shrug.

"It matters not, my dear," she'd said with a smile. "The cold is better, is it not? In the heat of the sun, you'll swelter and melt. But not in here. Never in here. If you shiver, then you merely pull a cloak around your shoulders. It's that simple, darling."

To the six-year-old girl she was, the answer had made sense to Weiss.

So she'd ventured through the frigid hallways that she'd called home for over a year now – though as far as she knew, it had been for her entire life.

She'd wandered to her room and pulled one small blanket off the bed, wrapping it around her shoulders like a cloak, mimicking the fashion of dress she'd always seen Cinder adorn. It had still been a little cold, but it had been better than before.

Returning to the unlit hallways, she'd clutched the makeshift cloak at her chest and went to the dark living room area, taking a seat on the couch there. She'd then closed her eyes, and began to meditate.

There weren't any toys in the mansion, and when Weiss had asked for some, Cinder had curtly refused her.

"Playing would interrupt your meditation," she'd said. "You've no need for toys, my dear. You're much too smart for such things."

Weiss didn't know why she needed to meditate, but she'd been doing it for as long as she could remember. Cinder wanted her to do it, so Weiss always did it.

She wanted to be a good girl.

She wanted to make Cinder happy.

Cinder was her mother, after all.

They were alone in that big mansion, so she was certain the woman must've gotten lonely like Weiss did sometimes, and Weiss didn't want loneliness to turn into sadness.

Whenever Cinder _did_ get lonely, she would ring a small bell she had, and Weiss had quickly come to realize that was Cinder's method of summoning her.

So she'd rush to Cinder to see what it was she wanted from Weiss, though it was usually just to call her to mealtime or check to see if she'd been meditating. Weiss had grown accustomed to the sound of that bell, and there had even been a few times she'd sought out Cinder when it hadn't rang at all.

"I'm sorry," she'd say. "I thought I heard you ring it."

And every time, Cinder would smile and pat her head.

"Such a loyal child," she'd murmur.

Cinder knew she couldn't have chosen a better target on that rainy morning nearly two years ago.

Just the day after she'd taken her, Cinder had gone in to check on her new daughter, who had woken before her, looking disoriented as she sat up in bed. But that was to be expected, Cinder had told herself.

She'd been prepared to expect anything from the girl; crying, screaming, questioning.

But what she'd gotten had been none of those things. What she'd gotten had been a pair of bright blue eyes meeting her amber ones, but there'd been no curiosity in that innocent gaze, no fear, no confusion. Only recognition and acceptance, proof that Cinder's spell had been successful.

"Mother," she'd said. "My head feels fuzzy."

And that had been it. The first word she'd ever heard from the girl's mouth.

 _'Mother'._

That was all Cinder had ever wanted.

So she'd cared for the girl all day until her head had felt better, nursing her like a newborn fawn. Cinder had cradled the girl in her lap, petting through her long hair, kissing the scar on her cheek, the scar she herself had painted.

And so, their first day as mother and daughter had passed without a hitch.

And for over a year now, the girl had never given her any issues.

Cinder planned to keep things that way.

She always made meals for herself and the girl, meals her daughter never turned her nose up at. Weiss was sure to eat whatever Cinder had prepared for her, even the vegetables. In fact, she rather liked those, and was always eager to clean her plate.

Even at the young age of six, Weiss had done her very best to help out with house chores, cleaning off her plate with a rag even when she was too small to reach the sink.

Cinder was all she had in the world, and Weiss strove to earn her affection; she'd been put under the impression that a mother's affection was something she _needed_ to earn, after all.

On stormy nights, if Weiss couldn't sleep, Cinder would take her into her own room, pet through her hair, and hold her until she could rest.

But every night – regardless of whether Weiss had fallen asleep already or not – Cinder would always come in to kiss her goodnight.

Weiss loved her very much, and she knew Cinder loved her, too.

And Cinder did – to some extent – love the girl in return. She'd _have_ to love her if the ideals Cinder had in mind for the future years were to bear any fruit.

The first several months after she'd taken her had been a bit troublesome, what with the pesky officers showing up at her door to ask questions and inform her about a missing child. Cinder had feigned ignorance every time, even going so far as to allow them inside to inspect the place.

When that happened, Cinder would ring the small bell she kept beneath her cloak.

Weiss was always listening for that bell, even if it was only a subconscious reaction, but it was one she'd been conditioned to.

At the sound of two rings, Weiss knew that meant it was mealtime or that Cinder wanted to see her.

But a single ring told her she needed to hide herself.

One ring of that bell meant she could do something she'd never be allowed to do normally. She'd take off down the halls as quickly and quietly as she could, and head for the secret door. It was hidden in the crevice of a corner, behind a bookshelf.

A staircase led down into a dark, chilly basement. Weiss was to curl up in the corner there and wait until Cinder came to get her.

It was colder down there than in the rest of the mansion, and Weiss didn't always have her blanket with her. There was a small window though, the only other one in the mansion without curtains, which provided the faintest bit of light from the streets above, as she was below ground-level here.

Sometimes, she'd wait for hours, until she'd heard Cinder's footsteps descending the stairs, at which point Weiss would jump up and run to her, hugging her legs. Cinder would then scoop her up, praise her for her good listening, and then bring her back upstairs.

Weiss longed to be with Cinder as often as possible, longed to be close to her, longed to be warm in her arms. But that only happened when Cinder stayed in the mansion.

When Cinder stayed home, she would usually spend her time in her quarters, only emerging to prepare food for Weiss or check on her mediation practices. But for the majority of the time, she'd stay behind closed doors, and Weiss hadn't the slightest clue as to what she did there.

There were many rooms of the mansion, some of which not even Cinder ventured into very often. Weiss was only permitted to go inside a few of them, including Cinder's on stormy nights. Otherwise, it was Weiss' own bedroom, the living area, kitchen, and the bathroom - she was only allowed into the basement during emergencies, and that was all.

Those several rooms were the entire extent of her world.

She'd seen Cinder passing between the rooms from time to time, often disappearing behind doors for hours on end. But whenever Weiss had asked about what Cinder had been doing, she'd be sharply told not to ask again, so she wouldn't.

If she ever made Cinder upset or asked a bad question, Weiss would feel so horrible she'd sometimes be sick in the bathroom. It was the worst feeling ever when Cinder was mad at her, even just a little bit.

In contrast, Weiss loved it more than anything whenever Cinder kissed her and praised her, pet her hair and tied it up for her, hugged her and held her close.

And Weiss loved it when Cinder was home with her. When her mother was there, Weiss felt like everything was right with the world, so long as Cinder wasn't mad.

Cinder always wore her hood up outdoors, but as soon as she was out of the sun, she'd let it fall to reveal her face and hair to Weiss. Weiss felt special in knowing she was the only person who could see her mother's pretty eyes like this.

But whenever Cinder pulled up her hood and left the mansion, she never brought Weiss along with her. She'd tell her to behave and then leave her there alone.

So Weiss would simply stay in the unlit living room and wait for Cinder's return. She'd read books to the best of her abilities; her meditation was her biggest task, but Cinder always encouraged and permitted her to read daily as well.

When she'd completed her daily tasks, however, Weiss would retreat to her bedroom and look out the single uncovered window there, wondering what it would be like to go outside with Cinder.

She could only ever imagine such a thing.

. . .

In one instance, Weiss had been too cold to stay still. Even wrapped in all her blankets, the outside sunlight had been far too tempting to ignore.

So she'd climbed up on a small storage box and tried to reach her window, just so she may open it. She'd had no intentions of escape, but merely longed to breathe a fresh breath of air.

But the window sill wouldn't budge, not even when she'd unhinged the lock and poured all of her strength into moving it.

Cinder had told her never to move the curtains from the windows that faced the streets in the other rooms, so Weiss couldn't try to open those. She could only try the one in her own room that showed her the forest.

It never budged, and Weiss assumed all other windows in the mansion would behave in a similar fashion, though she didn't dare risk trying them.

So she'd retreated to her bed and wrapped herself back in her blankets, trying to forget thoughts of the outside world.

But Weiss had always longed to go outside, and she couldn't remember ever doing so in her entire life.

The only time she'd ever breathed fresh air would be the times she'd just so happened to be near the front door whenever Cinder came home. If the door was opened for a few seconds, it would be long enough for Weiss to fill her lungs with the breeze before the air turned stale once more.

But other than that, she had little knowledge of the world beyond those mansion walls.

. . .

* * *

Presently, several months later, it was the day Weiss decided to ask Cinder about opening a window or going outside.

She'd soon discover it would be the worst day of her life.

The second she heard the front door open, Weiss placed her book down onto her bed and hurried down the hall, hoping to catch a breath of that fresh air from outside.

"Mother!" With a joyous cry, Weiss opened her arms and hugged Cinder's waist tightly. "I meditated all day, and even read a book!" she announced.

Cinder closed and locked the door behind her, then removed her hood.

"Very good," she purred, reaching down to pet the girl's head.

"And I was just wondering..." Weiss mumbled. "May I come outside with you next time? I want to feel the sunlight just once!"

In an instant, Cinder's soft, tender voice grew loud, sharp, and vehement.

"Never!" she hissed. "You are _never_ allowed to set foot outside of this place, do I make myself clear?"

It was the most fury Weiss had ever heard from her.

She broken down instantly, her innocent smile fading as she collapsed to her knees on the spot. She crumpled at Cinder's shoes and wailed frightened apologies.

"I-I'm s-sorry, Mother!" she gasped. "I-I'll never ask again, I p-promise...!"

The debilitating sobs raked her small body so violently it nearly became a spasm.

Cinder watched for a moment, content to see her manipulative methods of raising the girl had been successful, and borne the exact fruit she'd desired. The fact that her daughter would _break apart_ if Cinder was even slightly angry with her meant that the opposite was true as well - this meant the girl would jump eagerly at any chance to serve Cinder, and do her bidding to avoid her ire.

It was precisely the kind of reaction she'd been seeking, and the exact relationship she'd been striving to build between them.

Cinder's smile and praise would be the only reward the child would ever need. She'd make sure of it.

Likewise, her disapproval and scorn would ensure that the girl's body would shut down, and provide sufficient punishment for upsetting her mother.

In that moment, Cinder knew the treatment of her stolen daughter over the months thus far had all gone perfectly according to plan. _She_ was the sole withholder of authority within this household, after all. She'd get what she strove for, even if it meant damaging a few fragile hearts in the process.

Once she'd seen enough, Cinder cooed, kneeling down to wrap the girl in an embrace.

"There, there. Mother's sorry. She isn't angry with you, dear." She kissed the girl's forehead and helped her to her feet. Cinder pulled her into an embrace, reestablishing the warmth the girl needed so badly to survive. "Worry not, my child. I'll make sure you'll have enough to do inside, so much so that you'll never feel the need to go outside again. I only ask for a bit of patience. Can you do that for me, dear? Can you be patient for Mother?"

Weiss sniffled and nodded into Cinder's chest, hugging her shoulders needfully as the throbbing pain in her chest gradually started to die away.

"Good girl," Cinder purred with a smile. "It might be a while yet, but I'll get you a nice gift. I promise."

* * *

For nearly four and a half a years, until she was ten years of age, Weiss lived with her false mother, with every day becoming a more intense emotional trial.

Cinder kept her angers and frustrations to a purposeful minimum, though she did display a bit of displeasure from time to time simply to ensure the girl would still react in a self-deprecating manner.

But after the seasons had changed again and again, the search for the town's missing girl was gradually forgotten and swept under the rug with the rest of its dusty secrets.

Consequently, Cinder's mood only became better in knowing she'd succeeded.

However, in the colder months, she noticed how easily her adoptive daughter would start to shiver, how quickly she was affected by the cold. The telltale signs had been there all along, even in warmer times - the girl was terribly prone to cold. As the years had progressed, her condition had only seemed to worsen.

And now as winter drew near once more, Cinder feared the chill of the mansion might make the girl ill, and even possibly claim her life.

She couldn't afford to let that happen, not when she'd gone through so much effort to collect and keep her.

Not when she'd already spent so much time molding this child into her ideal slave.

So she kept to her promise and made sure she found something interesting that would keep her daughter entertained when Cinder wasn't home, something that would keep her warm at night.

She'd just picked it up at the marketplace, and kept it hidden beneath her cloak all the way home.

There, Cinder rang her bell twice, alerting the girl in her room to come running.

There was a brief pitter-patter of footsteps across the floorboards until not a minute later, the white hair and blue dress came into view. She came to a halt, sliding on her socks across the floor to pause just a few feet away from Cinder.

"Welcome home, Mother!"

Weiss was happy to see her as always and was about to reach out to hug her. But she froze when she noticed...

Cinder wasn't alone.

From beneath her cloak, she revealed a small child, about Weiss' size, perhaps just a bit bigger.

It was a girl, dressed in long, raggedy pants that were covered in dirt and little holes. Her shirt was thin and tattered, and only a small purple bandana around one bicep kept her arms protected. She had black hair a little shorter than Weiss', and her golden eyes were wide with fear as she trembled between Weiss and Cinder.

But what Weiss noticed above all else were the two cat ears flattened atop the strange girl's head, implying she was a Faunus.

Weiss was in awe, and yet slightly terrified at the new arrival. She took a step back, clutching her chest as she looked up at Cinder.

"M-Mother... who is she? Is she... your daughter, too?"

Cinder smiled and knelt down behind the Faunus child, but when she reached out, it was toward Weiss.

"Of course not, my dear. You are my only daughter, and my only child at all. Worry not. I'll not be giving this one any more affection or attention than necessary. All of that will still be just for you, dear."

Weiss relaxed a little as Cinder's hand caressed her cheek for her. She closed her eyes for a moment to savor the contact, until a whimper from the Faunus girl had Weiss looking back to her.

Weiss blinked slowly as Cinder withdrew her hand, and with a gentle shove to the back, sent the Faunus girl stumbling forward, until she was just inches away from the girl in blue.

"This, my dear, is not my new daughter. But merely _your_ new pet. She will keep you company when I'm not around, and she will keep you warm at night."

"Really?" Weiss gasped. She didn't like the cold. She would've enjoyed sleeping beside someone else for a change. "But... where did she come from?" she asked curiously.

Cinder smiled again.

"Oh, nowhere. I just found her in an alleyway, discarded and abandoned. No one else wanted her, so I took her in. A kind gesture, don't you think?"

"Yes!" Weiss said. "Mother is very kind!" She then looked at the Faunus girl before her. "We'll take good care of you here! Don't worry!"

The golden-eyed girl merely sniffled, casting a terrified glance first to Cinder, and then to Weiss. The white-haired girl reached out to take both of the Faunus girl's hands, tugging her a step forward.

"Come with me! I'll show you around your new home!"

And with that, she began to lead the timid Faunus girl down the hallways.

Cinder watched in satisfaction. Everything thus far was going perfectly according to her wishes.

Now all there was left to do was wait.

* * *

 **A/N: First of all, I hope I conveyed Cinder's manipulation of Weiss in a way you can understand. Just to clarify, she's mentally abusing her to the point where Weiss' body will go into a severe panic/anxiety attack if she disobey's Cinder. Very twisted, I know, but it'll come into play a lot later on.**

 **Chapter 2 preview: _Blake could instantly see that the other girl pitied her._**

 ** _Blake hated her already._**

 ** _Or at least... she felt she should've._**

 ** _But as those small, cold hands clasped around hers and led her down the capacious hallway, Blake found that the tears weren't flowing anymore._**

 **You can support me on under the name Kiria Alice to read future chapters early!**

 **Please review!**


	3. Chapter 2 - Living A Lie

**Again, please keep in mind that I'm writing from a more childish perspective here. This chapter and many future ones will be told mainly from Blake's POV.**

 **WARNINGS for mental/physical/psychological abuse.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 2. Living A Lie

Blake had been eleven years old when she'd been forced to start her new life living in Cinder's mansion.

As she had stood there in the doorway for the first time, being brought face-to-face with the white-haired girl, it had been all Blake could do not to scream out and accuse Cinder of her horrid crimes and filthy lies.

She hadn't _found_ Blake abandoned in an alleyway.

Taking Blake in hadn't been an act of _mercy_ as she'd made it sound to be.

In fact, Cinder had snatched her from the arms of a sick mother, laughing wickedly and promising she'd take better care of Blake.

They might've lived in the slums, but it wasn't a bad life. Blake's family had gotten by one way or another.

But as her captor and kidnapper had dragged her away from her loving mother's arms that day, Blake didn't know if her parents would survive without her.

Her father had valiantly tried to fight, but Cinder had threatened to kill Blake if he opposed her.

So Blake could do nothing but thrash weakly, casting one last terrified glance at her parents before the dark cloak had swept over her eyes.

On the journey to the mansion, Blake couldn't see a thing - Cinder had made sure of that.

But she could hear just fine, and Cinder had made certain she heard a lot of terrible things.

She had told her that Blake would be coming to live with _her_ now, in _her_ home.

She had said that if Blake resisted or ever tried to escape, that Cinder would punish her by going back to the slums and killing her parents.

She had told of her "other" daughter, and how Blake was to never speak a word of any of this to her, how she was to go along with Cinder's story of what had transpired that day - finding Blake abandoned.

And she had told Blake what her new duty would be – to be a pet for Cinder's other daughter, to do whatever was commanded of her.

To be a slave.

It was different from being poverty-stricken and living in the slums with her family. At least that had been a genuinely loving environment.

But now... she was to be a pet.

An animal.

Nothing more.

And despite her racing pulse and choking sobs at the time, Blake knew there were no other options left for her. She would have to obey, or else Cinder would kill her parents, and there was nothing Blake could ever dread more than that.

So she'd remained quiet in front of the white-haired girl as Cinder had proclaimed that she had more or less "rescued" Blake from a life of hardship and abandonment.

And Blake could instantly see that the other girl pitied her.

Blake hated her already.

Or at least... she felt she should've.

But as those small, cold hands clasped around hers and led her down the capacious hallway, Blake found that the tears weren't flowing anymore.

. . .

Presently, Blake followed the girl before her like a lost kitten.

She was glad to be getting away from the wretched woman who had kidnapped her, and when Blake turned back around, she'd vanished altogether.

For the moment, all she could do was bury her chin into the purple bandana around her neck, the one her mother had given to her when she was very young. Blake had never removed it, and now - finding herself in this terrifying environment after going through such a traumatic experience - it was the only source of comfort she had left.

She used her shoulder to dry her face off a bit, sniffling as she listened to the girl before her speak.

"There are only a few rooms we're allowed to go in," she was saying. "First, there's the kitchen. Mother will make us meals here every morning and evening. She's very good at cooking. Oh!" The girl turned back to Blake and then lowered her voice a bit. "Her name is Cinder. I'm not sure if you knew. Perhaps you should call her Mother Cinder? I just call her Mother, but I felt you should know."

Blake flinched at the name of her kidnapper, and an unavoidable whimper escaped her throat as she took a step back, her hand tugging at the other girl's. Blake saw worry and pity in those blue eyes again, and only then did she notice the scar there, too.

The white-haired girl stepped closer, voice soft.

"It's alright," she murmured. "I know it must've been hard for you, to be abandoned in a dirty alley like that. Your parents must not have loved you."

Her words had Blake's ears going flat, her teeth bared and a growl in her throat as she threatened to scream.

But the reminder of Cinder's threats kept Blake's teeth clamped shut on her bottom lip. Whatever this girl believed had happened, Blake needed to play along.

The white-haired girl was silent for a moment, then stepped forward and opened her arms, pulling Blake close.

Blake froze, snorting in confusion, trying to wrestle herself free. She didn't want anything to do with this girl or her wretched, so-called "Mother." She just wanted to go home...

But as the white-haired girl whispered softly into her ear, Blake stopped struggling to listen.

"Don't worry," the smaller girl said. "I don't know what it's like not to be loved by a parent. Mother has always loved me very dearly. But I know it must've been hard for you. Don't worry. We'll take good care of you here. I'll make sure you feel loved."

Blake went still, her stiff shoulders slumping in the other girl's arms. Any resistance, grief, or anger drained from her body in that moment as she felt the gentle, needy warmth coming from the other child.

This girl was truly happy here in this place, and judging by what _she_ knew of Blake's supposedly-horrible life of _neglect_ and _abandonment_ , the girl was being very tender with Blake, very caring.

Blake had to remind herself that this girl didn't know the truth.

And she could _never_ find it out, or else Blake's parents would be murdered.

At least if she lived like this in this mansion as she was now supposed to, there was the possibility of some day getting out, either voluntarily, or by escape, and she could go back to her parents.

But if she tried to resist or acted out in any manner whatsoever... she'd never get to see them alive again.

So this was all she could do. Stay silent and accepting, ensuring her speech and behavior reinforced the story the white-haired girl knew.

Therefore, Blake sighed, sniffling again just before the girl let her go.

"Oh, I haven't asked yet. What is your name?" she wondered politely.

Blake wiped her arm over her eyes and swallowed, checking over her shoulder, nervous Cinder might be lurking. Blake feared she was forbidden from talking at _all_.

But the two of them were alone in the kitchen, so the Faunus girl did her best to speak, her voice cracked and rasping after all the screaming and crying she'd done.

"Blake..." she murmured.

The other girl repeated it back to her.

"Blake. I like it very much," she said. "My name is Weiss."

"W... Weiss...?"

"That's right." Weiss reached down and took Blake's hand once more. "Come along. I'll show you the rest of the rooms we're allowed to go in."

She led Blake to a bathroom, and a small, dark living area that consisted only of a few shelves and a few cushioned chairs. The Faunus girl's nose scrunched at the strange, bitter scent that clogged her lungs with every step.

Blake had never had a home of her own to live in, at least not one like this, but she was aware of how the interior of a house _should_ look.

There wasn't much furniture here at all, only the bare minimum of chairs. There was no television, no radio, no source of noise whatsoever.

And there was no light, not coming from the ceiling or the lamps, nor from the windows.

When Blake ventured over to one of the windows, Weiss gasped sharply and put herself in front of Blake, spreading her arms wide to block her advancement.

"No!" she cried. "Mother says we mustn't open the curtains – ever! She'll... she'll get very upset if we do..."

The lapse in Weiss' speech just then said more to Blake than the words had. Clearly, Weiss had done something to upset Cinder in the past, and clearly that wasn't something she ever wanted to repeat.

Taking a willing step back from the window, Blake flicked an ear.

"Weiss... you're... a good girl," she mumbled.

It was an experiment of sorts, and she waited to see the girl's reaction.

Weiss dropped her arms now that Blake had moved away from the window, her expression relieved.

"That's all I want," she murmured. "All I want is to be a good girl for Mother. I want to make her happy. Making her mad isn't good. I don't... I don't like it when she's mad-"

Her voice suddenly hitched, and a hand went to her chest, as though she were experiencing some kind of pain, or remembering it.

"S-So if I'm a good girl, she'll only be happy. So I want... I _need_ to be good."

Blake's ears flattened even more against her scalp.

"What does she do when she's mad?" she wondered.

It was soft-spoken question.

But Weiss' reaction was violent.

She gasped, hands flying up to press roughly against her ears as she suddenly collapsed to her knees. Her knuckles drained of blood as she pressed hard against her skull, as though trying to hold it together and keep it from shattering.

"No!" she gasped. "N-No, no, sh-she's not mad- sh-she _can't_ be mad! I've been a good girl, I've been good! She's not mad, is she? I don't..."

Blake was taken aback. The girl's response to simply _considering_ the _possibility_ of Cinder being angry was startling to say the least.

There was much more here than what met the eye.

But Blake would have plenty of time to think about that later.

Right now, she was terrified that Cinder would hear the girl's distressed screams and come find them, and Blake would be the one punished. She dropped to her knees, pulling Weiss in by the shoulders and holding her tightly.

"No, I'm sorry," she whispered. "Cinder's not mad. I was just asking. I-I'm sorry for making you think about it, but she's not mad. I promise."

Her words seemed to have an effect on Weiss. The girl panted meekly in Blake's arms, and her entire body was trembling in spasms.

But when she realized Cinder wasn't present or angry at her, she started to quiet down a bit.

Blake kept her ears perked for any other sounds, but Cinder didn't seem to have heard the commotion. With a sigh, Blake hugged Weiss to her chest.

"I'm sorry. Cinder's not mad. Don't... don't cry, okay?"

Weiss nodded and sucked in another unsteady breath.

A moment later, she could sit up once again, and Blake looked into her petrified blue eyes.

This... all of this was just from the thought of Cinder being mad.

It spoke volumes to Blake about past memories Weiss must have experienced, and at that moment, Blake knew she couldn't afford to make Cinder angry.

Neither of them could.

Should that happen, Blake might lose her parents.

And Weiss...

Weiss' body would probably shut down entirely, panic until her heart gave out.

This... wasn't how a mother and daughter should behave.

Blake growled softly as she started to think about all of this, the fear of being kidnapped finally fading away.

That was over and done with. Now, she had new horrors to face.

Blake pulled Weiss back into her arms to stifle the last of her sobs, feeling the girl's heartbeat as it hammered away.

Cinder had referred to Weiss as her daughter, but the instant Blake had seen the girl, she'd been confused. The snow-white hair on the girl didn't match up with Cinder's dark ashen curls at all. Their faces looked different, too.

Unlike Blake and her parents, Cinder and Weiss looked nothing alike.

And adoption didn't seem like Cinder's preferred method of getting her hands on children, as Blake now knew firsthand.

There wasn't a doubt in Blake's mind that Weiss was merely another kidnap victim, one who'd been raised to believe Cinder was her real mother.

But what of her real family? What of her memories?

Blake assumed the scar over Weiss' left eye had something to do with that.

It all fell into place for Blake right then and there, as she held the smaller girl in her arms.

But she dare not address anything - not now. She didn't know if Cinder was listening, and she didn't know how Weiss might react to it.

That revelation would be for another time, Blake decided.

But for now, Weiss' pulse was starting to calm down.

Blake pulled away from her once again, her eyes burning with a new compassion for Weiss, a new determination. She wanted to get them both out of here, someday, somehow.

But that would take time. She'd need to grow accustomed to this lifestyle first. She'd have to live this lie as well.

So after a few more apologies and gentle embraces, she helped Weiss to her feet, dried the girl's tears for her, and asked to continue their tour around the mansion.

Weiss walked a little more slowly and spoke a little more softly after her scare, showing Blake all of the forbidden doors and hallways.

"We mustn't ever go there," she murmured. "We're not allowed. Those are Mother's rooms."

Blake cast a glance at those doors as they passed them. It was clear Weiss was uncomfortable around this part of the mansion; if Cinder told her not to go near those doors, it was hammered into Weiss' mind that she should feel sick if she so much as got too close.

But Blake could see beneath the crack of one door as they passed it.

There was a very faint purplish light emitting from behind it, and for whatever reason, it made Blake's stomach churn just in seeing it.

There were definitely bad things being practiced there, dark magics.

And suddenly, Weiss' scar and missing memories made sense.

Blake shuddered and hurried after the girl.

Weiss was leading her back to the living area now as they left the feeling of apprehension behind them.

"I forgot to show you one place," Weiss mumbled.

She led Blake to a bookshelf in the corner of the room, then came to a halt. Blake flicked her ear curiously as Weiss let go of her hand.

"What is it?"

Weiss met her eyes, then slipped behind the bookshelf, beckoning Blake forward as well. Weiss pushed against a particular spot on the wall, and Blake watched in surprise as the wall moved with her palm.

It was a secret door, one that would easily go unnoticed by someone who didn't already know it was there.

Blake could see effortlessly in the darkness beyond.

There was a staircase leading downward into a small, underground room, with only a faint shaft of light to see by, likely coming from a lone window.

Weiss didn't go down though, and after a few seconds, she stepped back and closed the door.

"This is the safe room," she told Blake. "If Mother rings the bell only once, we're to hide here until she comes to get us, even if we have to wait a whole week."

Blake's ears went flat all over again.

"Has she... has she ever made you stay down there for that long?" she whispered.

Weiss was silent for a moment, and her breathing became a bit harsher again. Blake put a hand on her shoulder by means of comfort and encouragement.

Weiss released a small sigh and swallowed.

"Once, I... had to stay down there for three days and nights. I th-thought she'd forgotten about me. I was so hungry and it was cold... I got sick..." Her eyes glazed over, her voice trailing off for a moment. "But then, Mother came for me. She carried me back upstairs and helped me get better again. She's very kind."

Blake was appalled at what she'd just heard. But again, she tried to be mindful of her words.

"Why... did she make you stay down there for three days?"

Weiss shrugged.

"She said it was practice. She said it would make me stronger once I got better. She was very proud of me for staying quiet all three days and never complaining. And it really did make me stronger! I was hungry at first, but after a while, I didn't even need food anymore. I didn't even want it. It was hard to not be thirsty, but I did that too. Mother was very proud of me and helped me get better afterward."

Blake felt nauseous.

She couldn't believe what she'd just been told.

Weiss was truly blinded by her affections for Cinder, enough so that she wouldn't even recognize the signs of abuse.

Then again, Blake assumed that was also Cinder's doing.

This life was all Weiss had ever known. She didn't see it as abuse; she simply saw it as _life_.

Cinder had locked her away and starved her for three days just because she _could_.

Weiss would never question her. Cinder was her _mother_.

She'd kept Weiss in that cold, dark basement for three days and nights, telling her it was necessary.

But Cinder had been the one to carry her _out_ of the basement. Cinder had been the one to help Weiss get better again.

That was all Weiss could see; Cinder _rescuing_ her.

She couldn't comprehend that it had been Cinder who had _put_ her in that awful situation in the first place, that it had been Cinder who had _made_ her get sick.

With the way she'd been raised and manipulated, Weiss couldn't see the bad side of Cinder.

But Blake could.

She could see everything.

And it _disgusted_ her.

It made her want to get out of here as soon as possible.

In that moment, she boldly vowed she'd never leave this place unless Weiss was with her.

One day, she was going to save this girl.

But that would mean she'd have to ensure Weiss _could_ be saved.

Somehow, Blake would need to make her see the darkness in Cinder's soul. She'd need Weiss to understand that her relationship with her "Mother" wasn't right, wasn't healthy.

In fact, with the things Blake had seen today in just a few hours of being in this place, she was certain of one thing.

She knew Weiss' relationship with Cinder would surely kill the girl one day.

Blake would need to devise a way to save her before that happened.

But again, this was only her first day here. She'd need to gain Cinder's trust first before she could even think about forging plans of escape.

Presently, Blake pulled herself from her thoughts when she realized Weiss had begun to shiver again, reminded of the time she'd been locked in the basement.

Blake hugged her once more, then took Weiss' hands and led her away from the bookshelf.

"Is this all?" she wondered. "Where do you sleep, Weiss? Is it... with _her?_ "

She hadn't considered the thought until now. If Weiss shared a room and bed with Cinder, it would make this nightmare even worse.

But thankfully, Weiss shook her head.

"No. Only on the stormy nights. But for all the other times, I have my own room. Let me show you."

She took Blake's hand once more, and started to lead her through the hallways.

But before they could reach the designated door, a strange sound reached Blake's ears.

It rang twice, and she quickly realized it was bell.

Weiss halted abruptly in her tracks when she heard it, and all other thoughts flew from her mind as she turned around.

"Mother's calling! Come, we mustn't keep her waiting!"

Weiss started running, and Blake had no choice but to follow.

She assumed making Cinder wait a second longer than necessary was another sin that wouldn't go unpunished.

But she wasn't willing to risk finding out, so she took off at top speed after Weiss, following the tug on her wrist as the girl rounded a few corners and brought them to the kitchen.

Cinder was there in her long, dark-crimson cloak, her hood removed to reveal her pale face, smoky hair, and burning eyes. Blake noticed that her red lips curved up into a smile as soon as she saw Weiss.

"Hello, darling," she hummed. "Did you show your new pet around the house as I asked?"

"Yes, Mother!" Weiss reported. "But we only went to the rooms you permit us to go to."

"Very good."

Blake watched as Cinder reached down and petted Weiss on the head, as though she were a dog. Weiss soaked up the silent praise for all it was worth, and Blake felt bile rise up in her throat at the sight of it.

This girl... she had no idea what her relationship with Cinder was truly like.

Blake froze when Cinder's amber eyes turned on hers, though her voice kept addressing Weiss.

"And your little kitty didn't give you any trouble, did she? If she did, you must tell me dear, so I may discipline her."

Blake felt her heart stop; if Weiss revealed anything about the incident in the living room...

But the other girl shook her head.

"Not at all. She was very well-behaved. I do think she's a bit tired, though. It must have been a long day for her after being abandoned by her parents..."

Cinder kept her gaze locked on Blake's, her eyes stern and burning, snarling silent threats despite the smile on her lips.

"That's to be expected," Cinder said. "She's had a _rough_ day, that's for certain."

Blake had to swallow a growl and fight back the tears that tried to swell up. She refused to show her anger and emotion to this wretched woman; that would be like admitting Cinder had won.

It was what Cinder wanted.

So when Blake merely returned her gaze levelly - almost defiantly - she was smug to see the irked twitch of the woman's eyebrow.

But the Faunus girl wouldn't act out right now, not in front of Weiss, because that might lead her to believe something was amiss with the story Cinder had told her.

So Cinder merely nodded, breaking her gaze away from Blake's, but not without one last warning flash.

Blake couldn't help but smile; she felt she'd just won her first battle against the witch.

She didn't feel like crying anymore with that victory achieved.

Cinder turned away and headed to the counter where she picked up several plates.

"Dinner is ready, dear."

Blake noticed she was only talking to Weiss.

Part of her was glad for that, because Blake knew if Cinder ever referred to her as such with that feigned affection, she'd vomit.

But the other part of her wished Cinder _would_ include her in the terms of endearment, just so Weiss wouldn't be the only one being targeted with such cruel, false words.

Even so, Blake followed Weiss to the small table where four chairs sat around a single table. Cinder put two plates down on the table, and Weiss seemed to know exactly where to sit. She and Cinder clearly had their own chairs.

But Blake didn't know where to go.

Weiss must've noticed as much as she took her own seat, looking to Cinder, then to Blake, and back again.

"Mother? Where may Blake sit?"

Blake watched the witch; she realized it was the first time Cinder had heard Blake's name or discovered what it was.

Cinder had just picked up a third plate and turned back around.

"She may sit wherever she likes," Cinder said pleasantly.

Blake took a look at the arrangement before her.

Weiss' seat was next to Cinder's, so Blake chose the chair opposite the witch that still allowed her to be next to Weiss.

She sat in that chair, and Cinder placed a plate of bread and vegetables in front of her before taking her own seat.

Blake had to admit she felt horrible being presented with such a full, nutritious meal, when she knew very well that her parents were distraught in the slums right now, probably refusing to eat and still frantic and broken by grief at having lost her.

Blake bit her lip, reminding herself she wouldn't cry – not in front of the witch.

Still, this was a lot more food than she'd ever eaten before at any given mealtime. As she picked up a carrot and bit into it, it was hard not to let her ravenous stomach take control.

Blake ate slowly, both to savor the food and to make sure she stayed by Weiss' side the entire time. She didn't want to leave her alone with Cinder anymore, if at all possible.

It was odd; Blake had just been _kidnapped_ but a few hours ago, torn from her mother's arms and threatened with her parents' lives. She'd been forced into this awful new life, demanded to play along, and Blake didn't know how long this might last.

But she knew one thing. She knew that she'd already come to care for Weiss like a sister.

Blake needed to get her out of here. She made a silent promise to Weiss that she would.

No one deserved this kind of life, a life of emotional abuse and false memories.

Cinder had likely brought Blake here to serve as a companion for Weiss, and Blake was intent to be just that, and much more more.

She was going to save Weiss from this living hell one day.

Supper came and went, and Blake finished eating at much the same time as Weiss did. Weiss hopped off her chair and took her plate with her toward the sink she was a bit too small to reach. She grabbed a rag instead and started cleaning it off.

"Thank you for supper, Mother!" she said with a smile.

Cinder tilted her head back and smiled as well.

"You're very welcome, dear." Then, her smile faded as she turned her gaze onto Blake, who had just slipped off her chair. "Now what about your kitty? Has she no manners?"

Blake's ears went flat as she glared up at the witch.

Cinder's eyes hardened, and her voice came out as a hiss.

"She seems a bit too defiant," she snarled. "Perhaps I should find you another pet, dear? It would be easy to replace her."

Blake's eyes went wide then; she hadn't considered that possibility, that Cinder could dispose of her and steal away another companion for Weiss. Of course, if she were to do that, she'd kill Blake first without a doubt.

Her life was quite literally in Weiss' hands in that instance.

But Weiss scurried over to where Cinder was seated and shook her head.

"No, Mother. I want to keep Blake. I'm sure she's just tired tonight, that's all. She'll get better."

Blake watched as Cinder looked into Weiss' eyes, then back to hers. Perhaps the witch didn't want to make Weiss upset right now by taking away her "pet" on the very first day.

Or perhaps the witch simply couldn't risk going out to snatch another child right now.

Whatever the reason, Cinder sighed, smiling as she patted Weiss' head once more.

"Alright then. Make sure you train her well, dear."

"I will, Mother."

With that, Cinder stood, taking all of their plates to the sink.

"Get along to bed now," she said. "But first, get her washed and out of those filthy clothes. I've left some fresh ones on your bed."

"Yes, Mother!"

Weiss quickly took Blake's hand and hurried off with her, back down the hallways, bound for the room they'd yet to reach. Weiss paused to open the door, then coaxed Blake inside.

The Faunus girl immediately decided that this was her favorite room of the house.

Unlike the rest of the mansion, the walls weren't dark and sickening, but rather they were blue, just like Weiss' eyes.

And there was no sharp, bitter scent here like there was in the rest of the house. This room just smelled like Weiss.

There was a shelf with a few books on it, a dresser, and one bed.

But Blake's eyes were drawn to the single window. It was the only one in the mansion without curtains drawn over it.

Weiss must've noticed her staring, because she took Blake inside.

"This is my room. That's the only window we're allowed to look out through, because it faces the woods."

That made sense to Blake as well. The other windows were off-limits because there was a high possibility of someone seeing Weiss if she were to look outside. That only confirmed Blake's theory that Weiss was another kidnap victim Cinder was trying to hide.

But she said nothing, biting her lip instead, casting her eyes around the only room that had so much sunlight coming in.

On the bed was a pair of loose pants and a sweater, and Weiss went to collect them.

"These must be the clothes Mother got for you. She'll probably get you more or just let you borrow some of mine in the future. But for now, these are yours!"

Weiss handed Blake the clothes, and the Faunus girl looked down at them. They didn't look as nice as Weiss' dress, but there weren't any holes, at least.

When Blake looked a bit closer in the better lighting now, she noticed the intricate embroidery decorating Weiss' dress, little golden swirls and patterns running all along the sleeves, the hem, the collar, and all over her chest.

Somehow... those golden lines didn't seem right.

Weiss saw her looking, and spoke up proudly.

"Mother sews all of my dresses herself! She loves me very much, so she makes all of my clothes by hand! But she probably bought yours in town, simply because she didn't have enough time to make you anything. She probably didn't expect to find you today, after all."

Blake knew that wasn't the case and that Cinder had very much intended to find _some_ poor child today and snatch them away. It just so happened that had been Blake's fate.

But perhaps that was for the better. Perhaps another child wouldn't have been smart enough to keep their mouth shut around Cinder and figure out what was going on in this mansion. Perhaps any other child might've cried too loudly and been killed on the spot.

Or worse, perhaps they might've told Weiss everything about Cinder blatantly and ended up hurting her very badly, or even endangering her life.

When Blake thought of things that way... she was almost glad Cinder had chosen her.

She knew she was smart enough to cope with this horrendous situation. She knew she could get out alive and take Weiss with her. It was just a matter of missing her parents and praying they wouldn't give up on her.

As Blake's mind led her through such thoughts, Weiss led her to the bathroom again. She filled the bath for Blake, showed her where the soap was, and then left her alone.

Blake couldn't remember the last time she'd had a full meal and a warm bath. It was certainly strange how she'd found both of those things here in a witch's house of all places.

But she wasn't about to take them for granted. She'd only eat enough meals and take as many baths as she needed to until she could get Weiss out of here.

Ten minutes later, Blake had dried herself off and changed into the new clothes. She wrapped her purple bandana around her neck again and paused a moment to breathe it in.

It smelled like home...

Shaking her head, she then drained the bathtub and wandered back to Weiss' room. The door was closed, so she knocked softly.

Weiss let her in, now dressed in a white nightgown that had similar golden patterns marking it. Blake assumed the witch had made that as well.

Weiss brought Blake over to the bed before stopping.

"Wait here," she said, and then scurried off. Blake didn't move, merely cast her eyes about the room for a moment until she heard Weiss' footsteps again. "Sorry! I was just saying goodnight to Mother. I told her you'd already fallen asleep and she said it was fine if you sleep in my bed!"

Blake finally cracked the tiniest of smiles.

"I'd like that. I thought she'd make me sleep on the floor."

"What? Mother would never do that!"

"...She thinks I'm an animal..."

That left Weiss speechless for a moment. Certainly, she must've realized how Cinder always referred to Blake as her pet?

But Weiss shook her head, simply unable to recognize a fault of Cinder's.

"Mother merely misspoke. That's all."

Blake's shoulders slumped. It was very bad how Weiss kept defending Cinder, kept accepting her abusive tendencies as a proper parent-child relationship. She really couldn't see anything amiss in this life.

One day, Blake would make her see.

But for now, it seemed best to try and sleep.

Blake wasn't sure she'd be able to. She missed her parents, and she knew they were dying without her now, drowning in sorrow.

At the very least, Cinder didn't seem to come into this room very often, perhaps because of the undisclosed window.

Blake knew she must have looked awfully scared though, because Weiss touched her hand lightly.

"Blake...? What's wrong?"

The Faunus girl sighed.

"I just... don't think I'll be able to sleep too well tonight... For a lot of reasons..."

And then, Weiss said something that actually made Blake feel a little bit better.

"Let me read you a bedtime story!"

Weiss hurried over to the bookshelf and pulled out a book, then rushed back to the bed. She took off her little white shoes, pulled down the blankets, and crawled up onto the mattress, slipping her legs underneath before patting the space beside her.

"Come here! This will be your spot from now on!"

Blake hesitated, flashing a glance to the door. But it was closed, and something told her Cinder wouldn't be coming in.

So she cautiously made her way toward the bed, removed her shoes, then crawled up beside Weiss.

The white-haired girl waited for Blake to settle down, sitting up and leaning her back against the pillow. Then, Weiss snuggled close to her side, opened the book in her lap, and began to read.

"Once upon a time..."

Blake's ears lifted, swiveling with interest as Weiss' voice read smoothly over all the words on the pages.

Blake tried to follow along, but she couldn't manage. She didn't want to interrupt, so she waited a few minutes until Weiss had finished and placed the book aside.

"Wow..." Blake mumbled. "You read so well."

"Thank you! Mother lets me from time to time."

Blake flinched a bit at the word "lets", but it wasn't all that surprising after everything she'd witnessed today.

"I can't read," Blake admitted. "I never had many books, but even if I could get one, I didn't know how to make sense of the words."

"Well then, how about I teach you?" Weiss offered excitedly.

Blake's eyes went wide with innocent hope.

"R...Really?"

"Of course! Before bed every night, I'll read to you, and I'll help you follow along. How does that sound?"

Blake met her pretty blue eyes and nodded eagerly.

"Yes... I'd really... like that."

"Then that's what we'll do! It's a promise."

Blake nodded.

If she was going to willingly be a prisoner here at this hellish mansion, she might as well make the most of it until she was certain she could get Weiss out.

They decided to start Blake's reading lessons tomorrow night, as for now, the sun had already gone down, leaving the room in darkness aside from a single beam of moonlight coming in through the window.

Weiss laid the pillow down on the mattress, then curled up on her side. Slowly, Blake laid down beside her, burying her nose in her bandana.

She'd never slept in a bed like this before, and never beside anyone but her parents. It was strange, all things considered, but she somehow felt drawn to Weiss.

She moved in a little closer, until she had wrapped the girl in her arms.

Weiss had been shivering in the coolness of the room, but in only minutes of being pressed close to Blake, the tremors died away.

"Blake..." she murmured. "You're so warm. Thank you."

Her words told Blake that Weiss had gone to bed cold many nights before, as had Blake herself.

"You're warm too, Weiss. It's nice..."

Despite everything, the two girls drifted off before long.

And no matter what the future held in store for them – whatever trials and terrors Cinder could throw at them – at least tonight they could fall asleep warm.

The arduous challenge would be to maintain that warmth, and to keep that flame alive at any and all costs.

* * *

 **A/N: I hope everything was easy to follow. If you have questions, feel free to ask!**

 **Ch3 preview: _A sudden loud banging at the mansion's front doors silenced Blake instantly, and Weiss gasped in sheer terror beside her._**

 ** _"Run, run!" Weiss hissed, pushing Blake toward the bookshelf. "Hide, w-we must hide!"_**

 **If you like my work, you can support me as Kiria Alice on ! Or if you'd like to commission a future chapter of this fic, please message me!**

 **Please review!**


	4. Chapter 3 - The Waiting Hours

**Once more told mainly from Blake's POV.**

 **WARNINGS for mental/physical/psychological abuse.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 3. The Waiting Hours

When Blake came to the next morning, everything came rushing back to her immediately.

The air in the room was cold, but beneath the blankets where Blake was, she was warm.

Weiss was curled up beside her, breathing softly, her smaller form shivering ever so slightly. Blake moved slowly and pulled the blankets up over the girl a little higher, draping an arm around Weiss and drawing her closer.

The early-morning sunlight that was coming in through the lone window reassured Blake that the witch likely wouldn't be entering this brightly-lit room.

But she remembered there was a curfew of sorts for breakfast time, and she also knew she and Weiss didn't have much time left to stay in bed and rest.

Blake felt guilty in how well she'd managed to sleep last night. In spite of everything, she had found strength in her silent vow to help Weiss escape this place, and that promise had allowed her to sleep with peace of mind.

A peace of mind she knew her parents would never have again.

Had they even slept at all? Had her mother fallen even sicker because of all this?

Blake couldn't afford to think about that. All she could do was believe in her parents, and pray they had faith in her as well.

Blake was pulled from her thoughts as a small sound reached her ears, a lonely little moan coming from beside her.

Weiss shifted unconsciously closer to Blake in her sleep, and the Faunus girl willingly accepted her.

 _I'll get us both out of here. Someday..._

Weiss woke not long afterward, finding herself in Blake's arms. It made her smile to not have to wake up alone for once in her life. Even on nights she'd spent with Cinder, whenever Weiss woke, the woman was always gone.

She stretched a little bit, blinking the sleep from her eyes to seek out Blake's golden gaze.

"Good morning," she murmured.

Blake had to wonder how Weiss could say such a thing while smiling, and needed to remind herself the girl was under the impression that Blake had been rescued from a life of pain. For all Weiss knew, Blake should be thrilled and excited about having a nice bed to sleep in and wake up in. And Blake had to keep up the act at all costs.

"Morning," she mumbled, doing her best to smile as well. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes. Very well," Weiss replied. "And I know it's all thanks to you. Usually, I'd wake up in the middle of the night due to the cold. But last night was the first time that didn't happen."

"...I'm glad." Blake was admittedly a little flattered at what Weiss had said.

Being an only child, Blake had always been taken care of by her parents. This was the first time she felt she was taking care of someone else. It was a good feeling, and she wanted it to persist.

But the tranquil morning was soon disturbed when Weiss noticed what time it was thanks to the little clock on the wall.

"Oh! We've got to get up! It'll be breakfast soon and Mother will be calling us!" Weiss pushed herself away from Blake and scrambled out of bed, moving so quickly she stumbled several times. Blake sat up and reached for her.

"Do we have to right now?"

"Yes! Or else we'll be late for breakfast and we mustn't ever be late!"

There was an ounce of fear in Weiss' voice as Blake watched her hurrying to her drawers to pull out some fresh clothes.

If Cinder's anger and disappointment had such a detrimental effect on both Weiss' mental and physical health, Blake couldn't blame her for constantly wanting to appease the witch.

Blake herself knew it was wrong, but she had yet to concoct a plan of sorts; it was still too early for that – she would need to live at least a few weeks in the mansion and discover what life was truly like here.

She moved a bit more slowly as she got out of bed, pulling the covers back up to make it neat. Weiss had changed into a white dress, embroidered with the same golden markings that indicated Cinder had made it. Blake assumed all of the clothes in Weiss' drawer were like that.

Aimlessly, the Faunus girl searched about the room for something to change into, but came up empty-handed.

"Would you like to wear something of mine?" Weiss offered as she put on a pair of socks and dress shoes.

Blake shook her head.

"No thanks. Those are your clothes, not mine."

In truth, she didn't fancy the thought of putting anything made by a witch on her body. She felt awful in knowing she was letting Weiss wear such things, but the girl didn't exactly have a choice.

Weiss didn't know of Cinder's dark magics – to her, everything the witch did was good and right. Weiss just physically couldn't see wrongdoings in any of Cinder's ways.

But Blake could, and she knew those golden lines on all of Weiss' clothes were soft chains, silent declarations of who she belonged to. Blake had half a mind to tell her not to wear any of those clothes, but she knew the witch would grow suspicious of Blake if Weiss had suddenly stopped wearing her usual attire.

For now, Blake would just have to keep quiet and observe.

She stayed in the clothes she'd slept in as Weiss finished slipping into her little shoes. Blake put on the sneakers she'd been wearing yesterday – the only things along with the purple bandana around her neck that still existed from home.

Not a minute later, two rings of a familiar bell sounded. Weiss perked up instantly like a trained dog.

"We have to go!"

She hurried to the door and opened it, then paused to reach back her hand to Blake. The Faunus girl let her smile fade away in knowing where they would be venturing, but she took Weiss' hand nonetheless.

They rushed to the kitchen where Cinder was waiting for them, three plates of food set out on the little dining table. The second Weiss reached her, she dipped her head to the witch and let go of Blake's hand.

"Good morning, Mother!"

"Good morning, my dear." Cinder patted the girl's head and smiled. Then her eyes flashed to Blake. "What of your pet? Still no manners?"

"She's just shy, Mother," Weiss mumbled. "She might need a bit of time. After all, her previous mother abandoned her. She's probably scared to trust you."

"I see..."

Blake never tore her gaze away from the witch's; they both knew Weiss' version of the story was fabricated and in fact twisted to the exact opposite of the truth.

But Blake was bound to silence by an intangible contract, and Cinder knew as much. She smirked down at the Faunus girl smugly, until Blake had to look away.

"Very good," the witch purred. "Now then, let's eat."

Blake still wasn't used to sitting at a table to eat, nor was she used to the decent portions and selection. Eggs, bread, and fruit all sat before her, and she took her time with each piece of food, sipping a glass of water in between.

She was sure to copy Weiss' eating habits; whatever the white-haired girl ate, Blake would eat, and she'd only drink when Weiss did. This way, she could ensure she was following a kind of pattern Cinder approved of.

Blake could imagine Weiss had been scolded in the past for eating her food in the "wrong" order, or something of that nature and had now trained herself to eat in a manner Cinder deemed appropriate.

The meal passed without incident, and Cinder took all of their plates to the sink.

"Now run along and start on your meditation," she ordered.

"Yes, Mother."

With that, Weiss hopped off her chair and started toward the hallway. Blake quickly followed her, a dozen new questions on her mind now, but she'd wait until Cinder was out of earshot to ask them.

She followed Weiss into the main living area, a dark contrast to the sunlit bedroom they'd woken up to. That odd, unpleasantly-sharp scent filled Blake's lungs and she winced; she wanted to go back to Weiss' room where the air didn't smell like this.

Weiss led her to one of the few cushioned chairs and took a seat on it. Blake decided to sit on another seat entirely. She flicked an ear to listen for Cinder, but even the kitchen was quiet, and Blake assumed the witch had gone off to one of her many secret rooms.

Her eyes met Weiss', and her voice posed a question.

"Meditate?" she murmured. "What's that mean?"

"Just as it sounds." Weiss straightened her back, keeping her ankles crossed, her feet dangling just a few inches away from the wooden floorboards. "I've got to meditate every day. It's all Mother asks of me."

"Do you have to do it _here?_ What about back in your room?"

"No, Mother insists I do it here."

"For how long?"

"A few hours every day."

"Hours?"

"Yes. I'm quite good at it!" Weiss declared. "But I know you aren't used to it yet, Blake. You don't need to meditate if Mother didn't ask you to. You may just find another way to spend your time."

With that Weiss closed her eyes and stopped speaking.

Blake flicked her gaze about the room.

There... wasn't exactly much to _do_ in this place, despite the mansion's size. But she assumed that was intentional on the witch's part; Cinder only allowed Weiss to do things _she_ wanted her to do.

Well, Blake surely wasn't going to do the same.

Even if she'd wanted to, she didn't think she could meditate in this room with that sharp, bitter scent in her lungs every time, and she took a moment to watch Weiss, amazed at how comfortably she was breathing it in.

Blake snorted almost every exhale of the distasteful air.

She didn't have much else to do now but wait for Weiss to finish.

Therefore, Blake simply sat in her chair, eyes gazing around the room, scouring every nook and cranny she could see. She wanted to know what was here, what was available to her, and if there was anything she might be able to use to her advantage at some point in all this.

But there was next to nothing aside from the few pieces of furniture – no pictures on the wall, no electronic devices. Only curtain-covered windows and a hidden door.

There was nothing of use to her here – she could discern as much after about half an hour of sitting in silence, unmoving.

But Weiss was still meditating, concentrating, her posture erect and breathing purposeful. Blake didn't want to leave her, so she merely slumped back in her chair and closed her eyes.

She dozed lightly, still doing her best to keep on high alert in this house, but nothing disturbed her.

. . .

It must have been after noontime when she heard movement from Weiss' seat, and Blake opened her eyes.

The white-haired girl was stretching now, her blue eyes finally revealed once more.

Blake followed her lead and did the same, sliding off the seat and standing. Weiss hopped down onto the floor as well, sighing contentedly.

"I had a good session!" she declared. "I've never meditated with someone else in the room before, but somehow I was very comfortable doing so with you nearby, Blake."

"I'm glad..." she mumbled unconvincingly.

Truth be told, she detested herself for letting Weiss do as the witch demanded of her, but again, she couldn't afford to risk breaking schedule and rebelling so soon.

Today was vital for Blake to gather information, and she already knew a good deal about this mansion. But there was still much more she would need to observe before she could start thinking about escape.

For now, she went to Weiss and let out a little sigh.

"So, what's next?" she wondered.

"Hmm, usually if I have time left over from meditating, I'll read until dinnertime."

Blake's ears perked up at the prospect of reading – both because she remembered Weiss' promise of how to teach her, and because that was likely something they'd do back in Weiss' room.

But she couldn't help but be appalled that every single one of Weiss' days here merely consisted of sitting in silence, reading a book, and then going to bed.

Even in the slums, Blake had played with her friends most days, breathing fresh air and getting plenty of exercise to burn off her energy. To switch to a lifestyle like this so suddenly would surely make her go insane.

She had a few ideas she wanted to try out, but decided to save them for a time the witch wasn't at home.

"Alright then," Blake agreed. "Let's go rea-"

But she didn't finish her sentence.

A sudden loud banging at the mansion's front doors silenced Blake instantly, and Weiss gasped in sheer terror beside her.

"Run, _run!_ " Weiss hissed, pushing Blake toward the bookshelf. "Hide, w-we must hide! Visitors are never good, only trouble!"

"What?" Blake blurted without thinking. "Trouble? That's probably someone here to help us-" She cut off immediately, realizing her blunder a second too late.

The police were probably searching the town on reports of a missing Faunus child. They were probably looking for Blake herself.

But she needed to remind herself yet again that Weiss knew nothing of the truth. She was presently staring at Blake with wide, frightened eyes.

"Help us? Why in the world would you think they'd do that? No, no! Mother says that anyone who visits us is awful! She bravely stays upstairs to deal with them and eventually chase them away, but _we_ must hide! It isn't safe for us!"

Another knock came on the door, and Weiss grew even more frantic.

Somewhere down the distant hallways, Blake caught sound of a single ring of the bell.

Weiss whimpered and lowered her voice even more, herding Blake toward the hidden door.

"You see? Mother's rung the bell once. Just once means we need to hide. And don't speak, please! We _mustn't_ speak!"

Blake cast one last longing gaze toward the front door, but there was nothing more she could do.

Turning her back on whatever help might've arrived here, she followed Weiss behind the bookshelf and through the hidden door. Everything was dark beyond it, though Blake's enhanced vision allowed her to make out the shapes of the steps below.

It was twice as cold here as it was in the rest of the house, but that didn't stop Weiss from rushing forward down the steps at top speed, indication to Blake that the girl had done this many times before, enough to memorize how many steps there were.

Blake followed close behind her, and upstairs, she could hear the front door being opened and a deep voice spoke. Something told her it really was the police come to search for her.

She longed to run back upstairs and scream for help.

But she knew that if she did, Cinder would kill her on the spot.

Blake couldn't afford the risk, not when she'd sworn to get Weiss out of here alive.

So all she could do was follow the smaller girl across the stone floor, illuminated very faintly by the single small window up above. This one had no curtains covering it either, a discovery Blake was intent to commit to memory; she'd thought the one in Weiss' room had been the only one.

But given the circumstances of how she was to come down into the basement, Blake didn't want to be seeing this window anymore if she could avoid it.

The sharp, bitter scent was absent down here, but it was replaced by a dull, musky smell, almost like what she imagined a cave would smell like.

Weiss wasted no time in rushing to the corner behind the staircase, pressing her back against the wall, and slumping down to bury her face in her knees. Blake hurried to her and did the same, trying to ignore the fact that help was just a scream away.

But if she _did_ make a sound, then so was death.

It was terribly frustrating to know that there was someone here looking for _her_ right now, someone who would take her home if they found her.

And they were probably someone who had once searched for Weiss in this very same mansion however many years ago she'd been taken.

That thought had Blake's heart sinking - the fact that Weiss had likely been kidnapped so long ago that they'd stopped searching for her. They'd given up the hope of ever finding her.

One day, Blake wanted to be the one to return that hope to Weiss' real family, wherever they may be.

But for now, she was silent as a shudder ran through her. She could feel Weiss shivering at her side as well, and Blake moved a bit closer to her.

Her keen hearing could pick up on the muffled sounds of footsteps and voices from above – one was female and there seemed to be two males.

Blake bit her lip to swallow down the scream.

To distract herself, she turned her attention to Weiss, peering through the darkness at the trembling girl at her side. Blake kept her voice to a very thin whisper.

"Weiss? Are you okay?"

Instantly, Weiss cringed and pulled her knees to her chest, stifling a whimper into her dress as her breathing became excessively harsh. Blake recoiled in shock, her voice rising just a little.

"Weiss? What is it? What's-"

She cut off abruptly when Weiss only started trembling more, shaking her head, her frantic breathing becoming meek and shallow.

Blake realized what she'd done.

Weiss had told her not to speak when they were down here. Doing so against the witch's orders would surely result in Cinder's rage, and Weiss was terrified of that.

It made Blake realize that Weiss must have made a sound when she was alone down here once before, and Cinder hadn't been happy about it.

Blake had to wonder what Cinder had done to Weiss at the time, what she'd done to scare the girl so badly that she was now nearly convulsing from the fear of having it happen again.

Part of her wanted to ask, but Blake felt no part of her wanted to know.

But she did know that _she'd_ done this to Weiss right now, brought on the girl's panic attack by speaking. Weiss was terrified they'd get in trouble with Cinder now, so her body was reacting in the only way it knew how to.

Weiss couldn't breathe, silent gasps flying from her lips as she curled in on herself, desperately trying to keep quiet. Blake whimpered and wrapped the girl in a tight embrace.

"Sorry..." she murmured, but that was the last thing she'd say for now. She squeezed Weiss close to her, until she could feel the girl's pulse pounding frantically against her chest. It was so fast Blake feared it would tire itself out until it stopped altogether.

Panic tore through Weiss until she was breathless, her lungs numb and void of use. Blake swallowed hard and begged her thoughts to convey themselves somehow.

 _I'm sorry. I won't talk anymore. I'm sorry..._

She pet through Weiss' ponytail, rubbing her back by means of apology and repentance. Blake didn't fear Cinder – right now, she feared for Weiss' wellbeing above all else.

It was torment.

Weiss needed to breathe, but the required gasps would make too much noise, a volume Weiss couldn't accept. All she could do was curl into Blake's chest, clutching weakly at the Faunus girl's back as she struggled for breath. Blake hushed her, keeping her motions and her own breathing slow, hoping Weiss would match it.

"Shh..." Blake whispered to her again and again. _It'll be okay_.

She could only hold Weiss for a long while, pressing a hand to the girl's chest simply to ensure she was still breathing. She could physically feel the throbs of Weiss' heartbeat, and Blake had to hold back tears.

 _Weiss..._

She just held her for as long as possible - waiting - but for what, she didn't know.

Maybe the witch would come down to find them.

Maybe she'd kill them for being too loud.

Maybe Weiss' heart would give out and it would all be over.

Blake couldn't be sure.

She must've held Weiss for hours until the girl finally stopped shaking. Even then, Blake kept her protective hold on her, feeling for her pulse once more. It had slowed, but miraculously not stopped.

In fact, Blake was led to believe Weiss had fallen asleep. That or her attack had dragged her into unconsciousness. But either way, the girl's body had resorted back to a calmer, more stable state.

Blake had closed her eyes a while ago, but only now did she finally let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. She let her ears listen to the sounds of the house once more.

For a while, she could hear nothing but stagnant, hollow sounds, and Weiss' breathing.

But then, Blake caught sound of movement from upstairs. There were still three voices, and then the sound of the front door opening. The two male voices died away, the door closed, and all was silent once more.

She could hear the witch's footsteps as she neared the bookshelf, and hastily, Blake nudged the girl beside her. Weiss woke with a start, but quickly heard Cinder's footsteps as she descended the stairs.

The two girls waited in the darkness, huddled together against the cold, unforgiving wall.

Normally, Weiss would've smiled at her mother's arrival.

But not this time. She was too terrified that Cinder had heard noise and now Weiss was in trouble.

Blake straightened up a little, shielding Weiss from the witch's view, her eyes trained on the dark pools of burning amber.

"My, my," Cinder husked, her eyes settling on the crumpled pair, just barely visible thanks to the window light. "What happened down here? I could've sworn I heard noises."

Blake froze, feeling Weiss stiffen as well, holding her breath. She wasn't sure if she could talk just yet. But Cinder soon made it clear.

"Well? Answer me, girls."

Blake could feel that Weiss was starting to shake again, her heart pounding within seconds. Blake didn't want to make her talk like that, so she spoke first.

"It was me," she said. "I forgot we weren't supposed to talk down here. I'm sorry."

Cinder looked down at her with mild interest.

"Sorry? Oh, dear girl. I'm afraid 'sorry' doesn't suffice in this household."

She stepped forward, heels clicking loudly on the stone floor. Blake pressed Weiss a little closer against the wall in an effort to defend her.

But despite her panic, Weiss managed to speak up timidly.

"Mother... she can learn... from her mistake. She won't do it again..."

The clicking heels stopped just a few feet away from them.

Blake watched as Cinder's gaze traveled to Weiss instead, and she inhaled sharply. Cinder was silent for a long moment, and beneath Blake's palm, Weiss' heart was erratic.

But the witch then turned her gaze back to the Faunus girl and sighed.

"Very well," she said. "But just so you know, _pet_..." She took a step forward, until she was towering over Blake. "I do not give second chances."

With that, she whipped around and headed back to the stairs, the rush of air from her cloak hitting Blake in the face. "Get to bed, the both of you," Cinder ordered. "No supper tonight. I'm exhausted."

But Blake knew it was much more than that; a lack of food was their punishment, and Cinder's silent reminder that she was in control of keeping them alive. She could kill them any time she wished, and she needed Blake to understand that.

Blake watched her vanish up the stairs, making sure she was gone until she turned her attention back to Weiss.

"Can you stand?" she murmured.

Weiss merely whimpered again and shook her head.

Blake wrapped both arms around the girl's torso, letting Weiss hold onto her shoulders as she got to her feet. She helped Weiss stand as well, keeping her arms around the white-haired girl as they slowly made their way toward the stairs. Weiss was still shivering, and Blake knew it wasn't just from the frigid cold down here.

Even so, she wanted to get her back to bed as soon as possible. Perhaps it was best they skipped dinner tonight, because Blake didn't think she nor Weiss would've been able to eat much anyway.

It took a while to best the staircase, but once they had, Blake made sure Weiss got out first. Blake closed the door behind herself, and the two girls stepped into the familiar living area.

Evening had come, as was indicated by the change in lighting, pitiful as that may have been. But this lighting still provided better visibility than the basement had, and now Blake could see just how bad a shape Weiss was in.

She was clearly shaken, dried tear trails smearing her face and all the way down her neck. Blake couldn't even bear to think that all of this was her fault. She pulled Weiss into a hug, murmuring softly into Weiss' ear.

"I'm so sorry. It'll never happen again. I swear it, Weiss."

Weiss sobbed and nodded, clinging to Blake's shirt tightly.

Blake led the girl to the bathroom and used a wet rag to clean Weiss' face a bit, and then her own.

A bath might've done them some good, but neither had the strength or energy to fill the tub. So they merely limped back down the hallway to their shared bedroom.

But before Blake could open the door, Weiss stopped herself.

"I've got to... say goodnight to Mother."

Blake snorted.

"No, you don't."

"I do."

Weiss' reply was emotionless, an automatic response that had been forced into her mind. If she didn't do this, there was no telling what would happen.

So Blake had to let her go, but that didn't mean she had to let her go alone.

Blake insisted she follow along, and Weiss simply gave a weak smile and nodded before heading down the hallway toward Cinder's quarters. Blake followed her quietly.

The designated door was closed, and Weiss knocked softly.

"Come in," came the voice.

Weiss pushed inside, stepping lightly, and Blake followed hesitantly.

The witch's bedroom consisted merely of a large bed covered in dark comforters and drapes, the walls and curtains black.

Cinder sat on her bed, still in her crimson dress and cloak. Her amber eyes met Blake's briefly, but there was disinterest there and the Faunus girl was quickly ignored. Instead, the witch's fingers beckoning Weiss toward her in a hypnotic fashion, like a snake luring in a mouse.

Blake could only stay still and watch, and Weiss could only obey, moving closer until Cinder had scooped her up into her lap.

Blake's ears folded down, part of her fearing Cinder wold strike the girl.

But she seemed to just be balancing Weiss on her knee, rocking her gently.

"I came in to say goodnight, Mother," Weiss said.

"I know, dear," Cinder cooed. "But tell me – why won't you smile?"

Weiss gasped softly.

"I-I'm sorry, Mother. I just feared I upset you and so I-"

"Child," Cinder purred. "I'm not upset. I'll make sure we have a big feast for breakfast tomorrow. I promise."

Weiss finally cracked a smile.

"Okay. Thank you, Mother. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, dear."

Blake had stayed in the doorway all the while, listening very carefully as they conversed. She'd noticed quite a few things. But above all else, she'd realized the witch was merely driving more abuse into Weiss' mind.

After tormenting her and locking her away, after refusing to feed her and making her cry, now Cinder was promising her daughter she'd make it up to her in the morning. This kind of pattern was one Blake recognized; it told Weiss that the abuse was acceptable, because Cinder always promised to say sorry and make it better later.

The worst part of it all was that Weiss believed her.

Cinder let her down onto the floor, and watched like a hawk as the two sparrows flitted away, the door closing behind them.

Blake ushered Weiss back to their room, relieved to finally breathe in the purer air here.

Moonlight was streaming in through the window unobstructed, dyeing the room in silver. Neither girl changed clothes – they simply crawled into bed and curled up together. Blake pulled Weiss close to her.

"Goodnight, Weiss" she murmured.

"Goodnight, Blake..."

They said nothing more for a while, until Blake was just about to fall asleep. That was when Weiss shifted against her, voice tired.

"Ah... I promised I'd read to you every night-"

But Blake stopped her, gently nuzzling into her shoulder.

"It's alright."

"But I _promised_."

"Don't worry about it. We can start the promise from tomorrow night. Okay?"

Weiss was still for a moment, then opted to move closer to her.

"Alright..."

It wasn't long after that when sleep swept over Blake, her body and mind both thoroughly exhausted after the frightful events of the long day.

But she only slept for about an hour or so before she was woken by a violent gasp. Her eyes flew open, ears standing tall and alert as she felt Weiss jolt in her arms.

"Weiss? What's wrong? Weiss?!"

The girl in her arms was shuddering, once more having difficulty breathing.

Blake was then aware of the sounds coming from outside, the hissing rain that must have started after she'd fallen asleep.

And then there was a loud crash of thunder.

Weiss yelped and clung tightly to Blake just seconds before her eyes opened wide in fear.

"A-Ah-!"

"Weiss!" Blake pulled her close. "It's okay. It's okay... It was just a nightmare."

"I-I..." Weiss coughed into her shoulder, her body once more assaulted by tremors. "Th-There was a man... he was calling out for me... and a girl..."

Blake realized Weiss had been woken by the thunder.

But what she was describing...

Blake knew that hadn't been a nightmare at all.

Something told Blake those were Weiss' stolen memories of her childhood resurfacing, the childhood Cinder had somehow stolen from her. The man and girl Weiss was describing must've been her family.

But Weiss didn't even know who they were.

Blake couldn't tell her either. She could only continue to hold Weiss and try to help her calm down.

"It's okay. Just breathe..."

The thunder shook the mansion, and with every blast, Weiss grew shorter and shorter on breath. Blake didn't know what more she could do other than hold the girl and whisper to her.

Surely, this much stress on such a small girl wasn't far from becoming harmful. Blake didn't know if she could bear watching Weiss suffer a second panic attack that day.

Several painstaking moments dragged by, and the rain and thunder continued. Eventually, Weiss couldn't take it any longer.

"I-I n-need to go... go to M-Mother..."

Blake's ears went flat, her arms locking tighter around Weiss.

"No," she said firmly. "No you don't. She's sleeping now – you can't wake her."

Blake hoped that thought would dissuade Weiss.

But the girl shook her head.

"But I a-always go to her when there's a storm... I'm scared..."

"You don't have to go to her this time," Blake murmured. "Because... you have _me_ this time."

Weiss was silent, her labored breathing fanning out over Blake's collar and bandana. She pulled away slightly to peek up at Blake past her bangs.

"Y-You...? B-Blake you'll... you'll stay with me?"

Blake smiled and started to let out a small purr, the first in days.

"Of course I will. I won't leave you, Weiss. That's a promise."

And it went farther beyond simply refusing to leave her during a stormy night. Blake wasn't ever going to leave her again. Not until they got out of here.

Blake pulled the girl back to her, purring a little louder.

"I'll keep you warm. And safe. You don't need to go to Cinder. Just stay with me."

Blake waited in silence for a moment for Weiss' response. She continued to purr, letting the soothing vibrations overlap Weiss' flustered pulse, helping to slow her frantic heart rate. Blake squeezed her tightly, rubbing her back, praying.

At last, Weiss whispered a reply.

"Okay..."

Blake's ears stood tall.

"Okay?" she repeated. "So... you'll stay here with me?"

"Yes... if th-that's okay..."

"Of course it is. Please stay with me, Weiss."

"I will. I want to... stay with you, Blake..."

The Faunus girl's purr only grew louder to battle the hiss of the rain outside.

"Thank you, Weiss. Thank you."

Blake hugged Weiss as close as possible and purred as loudly as she could, letting it lull Weiss back to sleep.

And Blake was ecstatic.

This would be her second victory against the witch.

Weiss always meditated as per Cinder's orders, followed her instructions to hide when necessary, and said goodnight to her every evening. Blake couldn't stop her from doing any of these things.

And she had always gone to Cinder on stormy nights.

But _that_ was where Blake had won.

Weiss had chosen _her_ over the witch tonight.

And that told Blake that she could earn Weiss' trust, too.

It was a scintilla of warm hope in this dark, cold mansion of lies and trickery.

Cinder's love for Weiss was false, built on manipulation and abuse.

But Blake was going to show Weiss what love truly was.

It might take some time, but tonight proved she had a shot.

The thought was empowering to Blake.

She waited until Weiss had fallen asleep once more; her pulse dropped and breathing returned to normal.

At last, Blake curled around her, and allowed sleep to come.

She vowed that tomorrow, and every day after that, she would earn Weiss' love a little more, until Blake could finally free her.

* * *

 **A/N: There's a bit more trial and error to be done and discoveries to be made before things start falling into place, so please stay tuned!**

 **Ch4 preview: _"Typical_ Faunus _." Cinder spat the word as though it were a toxic taste on her tongue. "Speaking out of turn, and then being silent when permitted to talk."_**

 ** _Blake held her gaze, still trying to remember how to speak simply so she could give some kind of response._**

 ** _But she was too late._**

 ** _She watched as the witch's enraged eyes shifted to a new target for her ire._**

 ** _"You..." she growled down at Weiss. "Was it you?"_**

 **If you like my work please support me on as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	5. Chapter 4 - A Witch's Mark

**WARNINGS for mental/physical/psychological abuse.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 4. A Witch's Mark

There was a lot Blake had to learn about Cinder's mansion within the first week she was forced to live there.

Two more times, knocks came at the door, and she and Weiss were ordered to hide in the basement by the single ring of a bell.

Blake kept true to her promise and never spoke so much as another word during those times. She merely held Weiss and tried to keep her warm for however many hours it took until Cinder came to fetch them.

But aside from those two times of great stress, there weren't many other times of high tension within that first week.

It was all the same routine, day in and day out.

Blake and Weiss would wake together, then hurry to the kitchen for breakfast. Blake was sure to remain taciturn in the witch's presence, only ever speaking the bare minimum of phrases.

It was clear that Cinder didn't like Blake, and very much regretted her choice of "pets".

But there was little Cinder could do by means of fixing things now. Even she could see just how attached her daughter had grown to the Faunus girl in just this brief amount of time; taking the rascal away and disposing of her now would only be counterproductive.

The plan all along had been to find her daughter a companion she could love and cherish, and all of that had already seemed to have fallen perfectly into place.

Cinder knew there were no hopes of changing things now.

So miffed as she might've been, she was stuck with the cat-eared girl living in her presence now. The woman knew she would try to cause trouble at some point or another, but when that time came, Cinder was sure to be ready.

And Blake was determined to catch the witch off-guard.

Whenever she made her move, and whatever it might be, it would all be a matter of timing.

There was one thing she knew above all else about her eventual escape plan.

She knew she'd need to be bigger and stronger than she was now. She'd need to be able to hold her own in a potential fight against Cinder, should it come to that.

And as Blake was now, she knew she wasn't capable in the slightest, and neither was Weiss.

So it became a waiting game of observing Cinder's schedule, committing it to memory, and of watching Weiss and her reactions to the things the witch did.

On the days Cinder ventured outside, Blake noticed she always pulled her cape's hood up over her head before exiting the mansion, rain or shine. Those brief moments when the door was opened were the only times Blake ever caught a breath of fresh, warm air.

Otherwise, it was just a lifetime of inhaling the same awful scent of the cold house, that sharp, bitter taste. She still scrunched her nose up at it every morning when she left Weiss' room, and Blake always retreated back to the bedroom as early as possible every evening.

But she was sure to use her days wisely, especially when the witch wasn't at home.

Of course, the idea of simply slipping out the front door and running for her life had crossed Blake's mind. When she suggested it to Weiss, she put it under a guise and said that they should go outside to take a walk.

But Weiss' answer was instant and panicked.

"N-No! Blake, going outside is _forbidden!_ We can never do such a thing – we may not even _think_ about such a thing, o-or else Mother will-"

And Weiss had collapsed to her knees, leaving Blake to rush to her in an effort to calm her down before the panic took hold.

"Alright. We won't go outside. I'm sorry."

As she held Weiss and rubbed her back slowly, Blake had to swallow down a growl. If Weiss was reacting this way, it meant she'd thought of going outside in the past and had been punished for it.

It meant that Weiss had attempted escape – perhaps she hadn't thought of it that way specifically at the time, and it had merely been a curiosity for the outside world – but the point was that Weiss had tried to get out of here before on her own, and Cinder had reprimanded her for it.

Blake tucked her face into her own shoulder and hissed softly; it seemed that whatever plan of action she wanted to try out, Cinder had already beaten her to dissuading it.

 _I'll have to think of something..._

* * *

Blake behaved herself for the next few days, never speaking a word about escape or rebellion or anything of the sort – for Weiss' sake.

Every day it was the very same routine.

After breakfast, the two girls would go into the living area where only on the sunniest of days did a bit of light manage to slip in through the black curtains. Weiss would take her usual spot on one of the cushioned chairs and be silent as she meditated.

If there was a single beam of sunlight to be found, Blake would sit on the floor in its path to soak it in as best she could.

But even so much as a straying finger reaching up toward the curtains to move them aside would set Weiss off into a panic, and she'd beg and plead for Blake not to do it.

So Blake stopped trying, knowing it would only be detrimental to Weiss' health if she were to challenge the rules of this household in any way.

Weiss spent up to five hours a day simply meditating as Cinder expected from her, and Blake was forced to stay put in that horrible-smelling room with her. The first time Blake ventured out simply to roam the hallways and to get away from the stench, she'd found herself in Cinder's shadow.

"What's this?" the witch growled. "The only reason I brought you here was for you to stay by her side. If you don't do that, you're not serving your purpose and you're of no use to me. Neither are your parents..."

With a frustrated, frightened growl of her own, Blake had turned away and fled back to Weiss.

She could see exactly what the witch was doing, keeping Blake at Weiss' side at all times. But not merely so she could act as a companion – there was much more to it than that.

Weiss would constantly dissuade Blake from pondering thoughts of escape. The witch knew Blake wanted out of this mansion, but she also knew Blake wouldn't dare trying, both for fear Cinder would kill her parents, and for fear of leaving Weiss behind.

She had to admit she'd fallen right into the trap for that.

But the Faunus girl still had some tactics and thoughts up her sleeves.

When the witch left the mansion, and Weiss was unmoving in her meditation, Blake would utilize that time to start training herself a bit, building up a bit of muscle – gradual as it may have been.

She would go into the hallways as to not disturb Weiss, and to avoid the rank scent of the living room area.

Blake stuck to the basics of strength-building, going over the exercises she'd seen Adam do many times before in the past.

As a girl just shy of twelve years old, Blake could only do so many push-ups and sit-ups before she grew exhausted, so she would take brief breaks in between sets of them.

She always made sure to finish before Weiss did, however, simply so the other girl wouldn't see her and ask questions.

Blake was also certain to clean her plate at every meal, knowing that food would be essential to building up her strength.

The only reason she accepted and consumed the food served to her – even by a witch – was because she'd seen Cinder bring the groceries home from town with her own two eyes. Even if the rest of the house was cursed by dark magics, the smallest mercy was that the witch didn't feed them poisoned foods as well.

Time seemed to slip by in that mansion.

Every day passed quickly, and before Blake knew it, she'd find herself curled up in bed beside Weiss once again.

The white-haired girl kept her promise to read to Blake every night, teaching her how to sound out words and recognize them.

Ironically, nighttime was Blake's favorite part of each day, because Cinder never came into Weiss' room to disrupt them. Blake loved the quiet room, the pleasant scent in the air, chilly as it might've been, loved the way the moonlight could shine unobstructed through the glass.

And she loved being with Weiss, loved the fact that she could make the best out of such a terrifying situation as kidnap, and at the very least had a friend.

Every night, Blake comprehended a few more words and syllables in the storybooks, and Weiss would praise her. The book would be closed and put away when they were finished, the two girls would whisper goodnights to one another, and then it was simply a matter of getting their minds to relax.

It was easier with one another beside them, restless nights now turned rather calm and comforting.

The way Weiss wrapped her arms around Blake every single night without fail told the Faunus girl a lot of things. For starters, the fact that Weiss needed someone like her – a friend – to keep her sane through all of this. Weiss' mind told her that Cinder's love and affection was all she needed, but perhaps a small portion of her heart still remembered that this place wasn't where she was supposed to be.

That part clung to Blake, asking for help Weiss could never speak the words for aloud, and Blake always returned the embrace, a silent promise she'd do all she could.

And for every night Blake was beside Weiss, she made sure the white-haired girl never crept into the witch's room anymore in the darkness, for any reason.

Even amidst the scariest of nightmares and the harshest of storms, Blake would hold her, hush her, and purr softly, until Weiss could breathe easily again and fall asleep. Her heartbeat would be Blake's lullaby, a persistent drum in her ear, a constant reminder of why she was here and what she was striving for.

But as more days of inaction passed by, Blake grew more and more anxious. She knew Cinder was keeping them both – mainly Weiss – here like this for a reason, so the repetitive days of the same meticulous routine day in and day out seemed to be begging to be shattered.

One day, Cinder was going to break that schedule for one reason or another – it was simply a matter of trying to figure out when and why she'd do it.

. . .

For several weeks, Blake followed the rules of the mansion, as they were presented to her by Weiss.

She'd rush to the basement when the bell rang once, and to the kitchen when it rang twice. She didn't go near any of the windows, save for the one in Weiss' room which she would always press her palm to longingly.

She stayed by Weiss' side at all times whenever they were on Cinder's radar, but as soon as the witch went out, Blake would tiptoe into the hallways to train herself a bit.

Two months passed by in this manner.

It had been two months since Blake had gone missing from her family and loved ones, and she assumed they were starting to give up on her by now.

Just so long as they didn't forget her, she knew she'd be okay.

Because one day she'd come home again...

There had been no incidents since Weiss' panic attack in the basement a few weeks prior, and the mansion was filled with an almost dreadful quietness most hours of the day, a pregnant silence that was begging to burst.

Blake and Weiss only ever conversed with one another when Weiss wasn't meditating and when Cinder wasn't around, typically in the evening hours when they'd read together.

Other than that, it was limited to a few "Thank you"s and "Yes, Mother"s, mainly on Weiss' part.

But Blake hadn't forgotten the witch's little threats about her displeasure if Blake didn't start showing her gratitude verbally around here.

Two months of silent glares and small grunts had been long enough, Blake thought this evening as she followed Weiss into the kitchen.

Tonight, she'd do her best to actually try and earn Cinder's favor.

The meal was eaten in remote silence as per usual, with Blake observing every mouthful Weiss took and copying it. When the two girls had finished, they went over to the sink to put their dishes into it.

Weiss walked back to where Cinder was still sitting and gave a smile.

"Thank you very much for supper, Mother! It was delicious."

"Good girl," Cinder purred. She pet Weiss' head as though she were a dog seeking praise, and it made Blake's stomach twist just as strongly as it had the first time she'd seen it.

But she reminded herself that she'd wanted to try and put on her guise today, false pretenses that she'd obey Cinder's every whim like a good puppet.

So she stepped beside Weiss and looked up briefly into those amber eyes.

"Thank you, Mother Cinder," she mumbled.

It had been the first time Blake had used her name in front of her, or ever really spoken a full sentence to the witch. She'd been expecting a surprised glance, perhaps a nod of acknowledgement, or even a pat on the head as well.

But once again, whatever expectations she'd had were far from the reality she received.

Cinder's eyes were suddenly burning with fury as she turned them upon Blake, standing in a rush so swiftly that her chair clattered loudly to the ground, making Blake's ears flatten at the sound.

" _What_ did you just call me?" Cinder growled.

The voice that had just been calm and sickeningly sweet not a moment before was now a low, threatening snarl as she loomed above the girls.

Blake's heart froze in her chest, and she heard the sharp inhale as Weiss stopped breathing, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from Cinder's.

The witch was enraged now, fury dripping from every word, her eyes burning.

"Did I ever permit _you_ of all things to address me as such?" she demanded.

The heels of her shoes clicked menacingly toward Blake, the calm, quiet atmosphere of merely a few seconds ago now thick and suffocating.

On instinct, Blake took a step back, and her eyes flashed sideways to Weiss.

But the other girl was just as petrified, in fact much more so, and Blake could see that the panic was already starting to seize her.

She looked back to Cinder and swallowed.

"I-I-"

" _Did_ I permit you to speak?" Cinder hissed. " _When_ I permit you to speak, then and _only_ then may you speak. Now where did you get the idea in your putrid little head to ever call me 'Mother'? _Answer me!_ "

A rush of hot air suddenly blasted past Blake's face, a dire contrast to the frigid cold that typically filled the mansion. Blake forgot how to speak, how to move, how to do anything other than cower in fear.

Cinder's predatory gaze bore into hers, her voice a scoff now.

"Typical _Faunus_ ," she spat the word as though it were a toxic taste on her tongue. "Speaking out of turn, and then being _silent_ when permitted to talk."

Blake held her gaze, still trying to remember how to speak simply so she could give some kind of response.

But she was too late.

She watched as the witch's enraged eyes shifted to a new target for her ire.

"You..." she growled down at Weiss. "Was it you? Did you tell this _animal_ it was alright to call me 'Mother'?"

Blake watched in horror as Cinder advanced on the terrified girl, backing Weiss into the wall until she was trapped.

"Well?" Cinder prompted. " _Speak!_ "

Weiss whimpered, her back hitting the wall as her voice choked out a breath, tears already soaking both sides of her face. She was trying to say something, but no sound was coming out of her throat other than frantic sobs.

Blake forced herself to move. Even though her body felt as though it was covered in tar, she broke past that and rushed to Weiss' side, throwing her arms out to defend the girl in much the same manner Weiss had done for her in the past.

"N-No!" she shrieked. "She- _ah_ -!"

Blake was cut off by a blow to the head, a strike that held nothing back, despite its fragile target. She stumbled to her knees, a discombobulating throb assaulting her sensitive ears.

But a red shoe appeared in her blurring vision, and Blake had no choice but to look up into those cruel eyes once more. Cinder loomed over her now, and Blake thought she could see actual flames in her irises.

" _You_ ," the witch said. "Don't you dare even think of moving from that spot, you little cur. If you so much as flinch before I'm finished, you know who I'll pay a visit to tonight."

Blake wasn't sure if she remained frozen because of some silent spell Cinder had cast on her, or if it was simply due to the crushing fear coursing through her now. It was clear she was making a threat about Blake's parents once again, though she couldn't say as much in front of Weiss.

But Blake understood all too well.

With the display she was witnessing now, there was no doubt in her mind Cinder would gladly venture out to slit her parents' throats if she so desired.

But that wasn't what had scared Blake the most about the witch's words.

Blake knew she could keep still now, knew that her parents would be safe because she could stay frozen in place.

What scared her was the prospect of what Blake would need to be still for until Cinder had "finished."

There was a moment of drawn-out silence, and Blake didn't dare to so much as blink as the witch bore her gaze down on her. Then, Cinder turned away, directing her full attention back to Weiss.

Blake could only watch, some part of her mind vaguely aware of the fact that Cinder was making her choose between the two most prominent things in Blake's life – making her choose between her parents and her old life, or Weiss and her new promise to her.

But she couldn't afford to dwell on that now, not as she watched Cinder crouch down on one knee so she was face-level with the white-haired girl. Her voice had softened a bit, but it was still taut, and Blake heard the malice dripping from it.

"Now dear," Cinder murmured. "Answer me. Did you tell the animal it was alright to call me 'Mother'?"

Pinned against the wall and confronted with the most traumatizing and horrifying thing she'd ever known, Weiss could barely breathe.

Blake was amazed when the single word tumbled from her pale lips.

"Y...Yes..."

The Faunus girl watched in sheer terror as Cinder reached up a hand, not knowing the full extent of what the witch was capable of.

Something told her she wouldn't kill Weiss – not after all the trouble she'd gone through to obtain her and manipulate her until she was the way Cinder wanted her to be.

But there were many, many things worse than death.

Blake watched as the witch's hand caressed the side of Weiss' face, a falsely-tender touch through her hair.

"Oh, darling," Cinder sighed. "I'm a single mother, don't you know? Only to you. Having a half- _beast_ address me as such is terribly insulting. It's humiliating. I'll simply _have_ to punish you."

Blake's heart was pounding so hard she willed Cinder to hear it and turn her attention away from Weiss for another second.

She could only watch, forced to swallow down a scream of protest and terror as the witch shot out a hand to Weiss' throat and _pressed_.

Weiss sputtered, her legs caving within seconds as her hands naturally lifted in a vain effort to free herself. But Cinder swatted them away.

"You've disobeyed me," she hissed. "I'll make sure this is the last time you do so."

The hand released Weiss' throat, only to tear at the collar of her dress, revealing the pure white skin down to her collar.

Blake felt nauseous as bile rose up in her throat, but she swallowed it back down simply because she knew Cinder would kill her if she were to stain the floor.

She longed to shut her eyes or look away, but she couldn't.

She needed to see what Cinder was capable of.

The long, red nails of the witch caught Blake's eye as five of them dug into Weiss' shoulder, holding the terrified girl in place. The other five were raised up, and Blake could see a small, golden sheen on the witch's index finger.

The golden embroidery of Weiss' dress resonated for a split second and attained a faint glow as soon as Cinder's fingers did as much.

But before Blake could wonder what it was or what was happening, all else in the world became of little importance.

Weiss screamed – sheer, poignant agony that caused a pang to go through Blake's chest.

She watched as Cinder dragged her index finger over the center of Weiss' chest. It etched – no, _burned_ – a red path behind it, a long, diagonal line that bled, and left steam rising up in its wake.

Cinder went slowly, and Blake knew it was deliberate; she enjoyed Weiss' pain, that much was clear.

When she'd finished making one line, Cinder withdrew her finger, leaving the girl barely-conscious from a mixture of agony, fear, and lack of breath.

But the witch wasn't finished yet.

She started to carve a new line into Weiss' skin shortly afterward.

Weiss screamed again, until her lungs ran out of air, and only strangled sounds tumbled past her lips.

Blake watched as Cinder dragged her finger across the girl's once-perfect skin, until a crimson X had been left behind, directly over Weiss' heart.

The cuts were undoubtedly burnt in by whatever forbidden magics the witch had just called forth, and there was still blood dripping down and steam rising up from it.

Cinder leaned forward, licking her lips before lapping up the excess blood.

That was the point when Blake had to look away, dry heaves causing her stomach to flip over.

After what seemed to be an entire hour of torture, Cinder withdrew her hands, letting Weiss' exhausted body slump entirely to the floor. The girl's blue eyes could only crack open a small amount, the garish red mark on her chest now painfully evident.

Cinder rose to her feet, her eyes staying trained on her daughter now far below.

"Let this be a lesson," she said. " _You_ are _my_ daughter. _You_ belong to _me_. _You are mine._ "

She cast one last glare over her shoulder to Blake, and her eyes were unreadable. The smile was the only indication that she'd thoroughly enjoyed all of this, and she licked her bottom lip to catch a drop of Weiss' blood.

"Now get to bed, the both of you."

With that, Cinder exited the kitchen, her footsteps clicking down the forbidden hallways until they'd vanished soundlessly.

For several minutes, Blake couldn't move, still horrified at everything she'd just witnessed. Weiss was lying crumpled on her side, her chest rising and falling with shallow, rapid motions.

Blake had assumed she'd fallen unconscious from the pain, but a feeble wail a moment later told her otherwise.

" _Ahh_..." Weiss' voice was broken and breathless. "It... It h-hurts... It's burning..."

Blake couldn't even begin to imagine her pain.

But she knew now there was at least something she could do to help it.

With great effort, she clutched onto the side of the table and stood herself up, though she very nearly collapsed again with how badly her legs were shaking.

Blake dragged herself over to the sink, grabbing a small towel and slumping against the counter both to support her weight and to reach for the faucet. She ran the cloth under cold water before shutting it off, then started stumbling toward Weiss.

The smaller girl hadn't moved since the witch had marked her.

Blake neared her and fell to her knees, slipping one arm beneath Weiss' trembling body and gently – _gently_ – helping her sit up. She had Weiss lean back against the wall, propping her up and wrapping one arm around her shoulders, shoulders that were still raked by meek sobs.

Even now, there was a faint line of steam emitting from the X-shaped mark, and Blake could see that Weiss was drenched in sweat.

She'd felt it for herself, the rush of fiery air Cinder had shot out, but Blake could only imagine how searing and stifling the pain had been for Weiss to experience at such close proximity.

Only now did Blake shed her tears silently, pressing the wet cloth to Weiss' forehead and face, briefly cleaning away the sweat and tears. The Faunus girl passed an arm over her own eyes to clear them, pulling Weiss as close to her as possible.

"Weiss..." she gasped. "I-I'm... so sorry... this is my fault..."

She moved the cloth down Weiss' neck to finally hold it over the horrid mark on her chest. She could feel Weiss' heartbeat thundering just beneath her palm, her chest heaving desperately.

But the at the very least, the cool wetness of the cloth seemed to be blotting out the torrid agony.

Weiss released a sigh in between the sobs, and as the minutes ticked on, Blake could feel her breath coming easier, her pulse finally slowing.

At long last, Weiss' voice reached her ears, rasping and tired, but still audible.

"No..." she murmured. "I was careless. I said... it was alright for you to address her that way. It was my mistake. I deserved this... for thinking so foolishly on my own..."

Blake pulled the girl into her arms as best she could manage while still holding the cloth in place.

"No..." she whispered. "Weiss, that's not right. You _didn't_ deserve this. You didn't deserve _any_ of this. It's my fault for speaking without thinking. I... I did this to you. I'm sorry..."

The hand over the wet cloth squeezed a bit, letting a bit more cold water drip out and onto Weiss' hot skin.

This punishment had been for Blake just as much as it had been for Weiss. Cinder had been intent to show Blake what she was capable of – burning human flesh with nothing more than the simple touch of a finger.

Blake cursed in her mind, every foul word and phrase she'd ever overheard in the alleys at night, all of them directed at Cinder.

What pulled her away from such thoughts was Weiss when she gasped softly.

Blake wrapped her arms more firmly around the girl, letting the wall support them both.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Does it still hurt? Is it burning you?"

Weiss winced and shook her head, the enervation clear in her eyes.

"N-No..." she sighed. "It's not... on my skin. It's- _ah_ -!"

She cringed without warning, hunching forward, and Blake caught her gently, rubbing her back and stroking her hair. Weiss gasped for a moment, and Blake could feel the hardness of the girl's pulse beneath her palm. It worried her, but not as much as Weiss' next words did.

"It's... inside me..." she whispered. "My heart... e-every time... it hurts..."

Blake whimpered helplessly, knowing there was little she could do to stop that.

All she could think to do was pull Weiss closer still, until they were chest-to-chest. The wetness of the rag seeped into Blake's bandana as well as she held still.

"Just try to rest," she said. "It's over now. I won't... I won't ever do a-anything to make her hurt you again. I _promise_..."

It all felt so familiar; making promises as she held a trembling, withering Weiss in her arms. It seemed that every time Blake made well to keep a previous promise, she'd make a blunder detrimental enough to hurt Weiss somehow and warrant making another one.

Blake felt wretched, knowing she was entirely responsible for letting this happen to Weiss, despite the other girl's attempts at reassurance.

She didn't let go of Weiss, not until she could feel the girl's heart begin to calm down. The stress this hellish lifestyle put on such a petite girl was disgusting and infuriating; Blake knew it would only take one panic attack too many before Weiss' heart would give out.

It was all too horrible a thought, and Blake didn't ever want to see it happen.

But with the way things were going... she had to recognize how entirely possible such a threat was.

She cried for a long while into Weiss' shoulder, feeling the other girl doing the same. Blake couldn't manage to find the strength to purr, even though she knew it would help soothe the girl in her arms.

Nearly an hour passed by before the tears stopped, and the two girls timidly parted.

Blake let the cloth fall into her lap, her eyes traveling to the red X on Weiss' chest. The fabrics of the white dress around it were tattered and flecked with blood, the mark itself awful to look at.

"Does it still hurt?" she murmured. Blake lightly placed her hand over the mark, both to shield it from view and to feel Weiss' heart.

The white-haired girl shook her head.

"No. Not now... But I feel... I feel it could start again at any second..."

Blake bit her lip and nodded.

It made sense that whatever witchcraft Cinder had used on her could be manipulated by the one who'd cast it.

But when Blake thought on it a moment longer, that didn't seem to make sense.

Weiss' body was already trained to shut down and cause her immense pain if she were to upset Cinder in any manner. This mark had merely been a display of the witch's capabilities, a demonstration of her power-

-and a method of fending off boredom.

She'd done it because she'd wanted to.

Because she _could_.

That was all there was to it.

And as Blake looked up to the scar across Weiss' left eye, she knew this hadn't been the first time Cinder had marked her.

If her theory was correct, the scar on her eye had been where Cinder had stolen Weiss' memories of her early childhood years with her real family.

The new scar on her chest must've severed _some_ other purpose.

But whatever it was, Blake couldn't be certain. And she didn't want to think about it right now.

Instead, she helped Weiss to her feet, catching her every time she stumbled or tripped. Evening had already turned to twilight by now, and the hallways were darker than usual.

Blake let her vision guide her, and she took Weiss to the bathroom, where the two of them brushed their teeth wearily. Blake dabbed another wet towel onto Weiss' chest for good measure, then guided her back to their bedroom.

The two girls changed clothes, Weiss slipping into another nightgown embroidered with golden lines, while Blake dressed herself into another shirt and pair of pants Cinder had been merciful enough to pick up in town for her.

Blake urged Weiss to come to bed, but the girl shook her head.

"I haven't said goodnight to Mother."

Blake whimpered, begging her not to go.

But she could understand Weiss' fear; she'd upset Cinder enough tonight, and if she broke the routine of wishing her goodnight as well, there was no telling what the witch would do.

Once again, Blake refused to let Weiss go alone, so she followed her down the hallway to Cinder's quarters, waiting in the open doorway as Weiss was permitted entry.

Cinder was sitting on her bed, just as she always was at this time of evening, waiting for Weiss to come to her.

Blake stayed put, watching as the witch smiled as though the events in the kitchen had never transpired at all.

"Come in, dear," Cinder murmured, waving Weiss forward.

Blake forced down a hiss as Weiss advanced into the room where the air was sharp and bitter.

Cinder scooped her up into her lap, hooking a finger on the collar of Weiss' nightgown and tugging it down to reveal the mark.

"I'm so sorry, dear," Cinder whispered. "I was merely giving you a small punishment so you wouldn't act out in the future. Mother's sorry. You understand, don't you?"

Blake felt sick again when Weiss nodded in response.

"Yes, Mother."

Again.

The witch was doing it again, causing Weiss traumatic and now _physical_ pain that left evidence behind on her skin, and then apologizing and acting like this was okay, acting like it was what every other parent in the world did to their child.

It was an awful cycle of abuse and false apology, one that Blake could see clearly, but one Weiss couldn't understand.

Weiss had never known anything else but this, or if she had, she couldn't remember it.

There was so much wrong here, so much more than Blake had initially thought.

It was only made even worse when Cinder leaned down and kissed Weiss' temple.

Blake failed to suppress a growl that time.

She watched as Weiss relaxed in the witch's clutches, her lips curving upward into a small smile. It was the praise and affection she lived to attain, and Cinder was giving it to her now to coax her daughter to forget the unspeakable pain she'd just suffered for Cinder's own pleasure.

For Weiss, she was willing to ignore having her chest burnt open so long as it meant Cinder would cover it up with a kiss.

Maybe the witch hadn't heard Blake growl, or maybe she simply hadn't cared. The wretched woman pulled Weiss into a hug before letting her down onto the floor.

"Goodnight, Mother," Weiss said to her.

"Goodnight, dear."

The second the door had closed behind them, Blake pulled Weiss into her arms and hugged her tightly.

Surprised, Weiss spoke in a curious tone.

"Blake? What's the matter? Mother's forgiven us. It's alright now."

Blake could only grit her teeth and cling tighter.

"Sorry..." she whispered. "But this is all I can do..."

She wanted to wash Cinder's touch away with her own, sweep her deceiving affections away with real ones.

Blake wanted _her_ touch to be the last thing Weiss felt every night before she fell asleep.

She wanted _her_ voice to be the last thing Weiss heard.

She pulled Weiss away from the horrible room, away from the rank stench in the air, until they found themselves surrounded by blue walls, breathing in less toxic air.

Blake closed the door before turning toward the bed, tugging Weiss with her.

But the girl resisted, and Blake turned back.

"We should sleep," she urged the other. "We need to... regain our strength."

But Weiss had wandered over to the bookshelf and extracted a volume.

"Not yet," she said. "Remember? I'd promised to read to you every night."

She crossed the room and paused at the beside table, flicking on the lamp there.

Blake watched her, not realizing a smile was forming on her own lips until it was already there.

Weiss was doing everything within her power to keep her promise to Blake, even when she was clearly so physically enervated and emotionally drained.

It encouraged Blake to strive hard to keep her own promises as well.

 _I'll get you out of here. One day. I swear it._

The two girls crawled into bed together, getting comfortable as Weiss opened the book and started to read. Blake followed her finger as it pointed to each word, her ears listening closely as Weiss sounded them out.

Blake tried reading a few sentences for herself, and Weiss would correct her when necessary and encourage her whenever she was successful.

In this manner, the two girls opted not to reflect on the events of the evening, though when Weiss' posture started to sag, the pair of red lines peeked out from the collar of her nightgown.

They stopped reading just halfway through the book, deciding to finish tomorrow, as they were both too exhausted to do so tonight.

The lamp was turned off, and Blake laid down, inviting Weiss into her arms.

Weiss didn't hesitate, all but falling onto the Faunus girl's chest. The heat was gone from her collar, and the natural chill of the mansion took hold of her once again.

Blake drew the blankets up over Weiss' back and shoulders, wrapping her arms around her. But before she could pull her too close, Blake paused, making sure to ask if this was alright.

"Does it hurt?" she wondered. "The mark..."

Relief washed through her when Weiss shook her head, lifting her gaze to meet Blake's.

"No. It's alright now."

"...Okay."

With Weiss' consent given, Blake hugged her close, tucking the girl beneath her chin in a protective manner.

Weiss wished her goodnight, and Blake returned the words.

Within minutes, Weiss was unconscious, the stressful day taking its toll and dragging her under.

Blake stayed awake a while longer, stroking through Weiss' hair, her eyes glaring at the door defiantly.

Once she was certain Weiss was asleep, Blake spoke her promises aloud.

"I'll never do something to make her hurt you again," she whispered. "And one day I'll get you out of here. We'll both make it out. Somehow. I promise..."

Once more, Blake curled herself around the girl and let sleep take her, wary of whatever morning might bring.

* * *

 **A/N: In case it was unclear, the mansion was never without a curse/barrier to keep Weiss in. The mark isn't the sole thing that keeps her under Cinder's control, but it's a major one now.**

 **Ch 5 preview: _Blake had only ever passed by this way a small handful of times, the first of which having been her first day here when Weiss had shown her around. Blake vaguely remembered that she'd seen an odd purplish glow coming from beneath one of the doors that day._**

 ** _Presently, she looked for such a thing, and wasn't all that surprised when she found it._**

 ** _With the utmost caution, she padded forward, bound for that door in particular._**

 ** _It was deathly quiet._**

 **Please support me on as Kiria Alice if you like my work!**

 **Please review!**


	6. Chapter 5 - The Open Window

**Blake's POV.**

 **WARNINGS for mental/physical/psychological abuse.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 5. The Open Window

In the following days, Blake was certain not to disrupt the witch in any way.

The second she opened her eyes every morning, the Faunus girl was face-to-face with what Cinder was capable of, the horrible red mark always in the corner of Blake's vision.

Weiss only wore dresses that would cover it now. Whenever she'd change clothes, her eyes would naturally travel downward to her collar, in some vain hope that perhaps the mark would have vanished.

But it never did, not even weeks later.

The white-haired girl soon came to accept the fact that it would likely be with her for the rest of her life.

Some nights, after she'd held true to her promise and read a story to Blake, Weiss would curl up on her side and cry. Blake quickly learned that nearly every time that happened, it was because Weiss was upset about the mark on her chest.

"It's so ugly..." she mumbled once. "I mean... I know it was from Mother, but... I hate it..."

Those words had given Blake an ounce of hope; if it was possible that Weiss could hate something her beloved Mother gave to her... that was a good thing.

Blake always hugged her tightly and reassured her.

"I think that mark is a good reminder," she murmured into the girl's ear. "It's a reminder that you made it through everything. You survived this long..."

But her words hadn't been spoken with enough delicacy or thought. Weiss had merely given her a confused look.

"Of course I've survived. Even if Mother gets angry with me, she loves me very much. I'll keep living with her for my entire life. She's said as much."

And Blake bit her lip and pulled Weiss in.

 _Not if I have anything to say about it_.

But for the next several weeks, Blake behaved in accordance to all of the mansion rules once again. Her biggest form of rebellion was to train herself when Cinder wasn't around and when Weiss was busy meditating. She simply couldn't stand the awful scent that filled the air in the living room area.

Therefore, one day after she'd finished her little exercise routine, Blake decided to do a bit of exploring on her own.

Weiss was still meditating where she normally sat, and the witch had gone out.

With nothing more to do, Blake took action.

She followed the hallways she knew very well by now, heading toward Cinder's quarters. She'd never gone inside the room, merely stayed in the doorway to watch Weiss say goodnight to the witch every evening.

This part of the mansion smelled just as awful, and Blake continued onward.

Her goal was to seek out the source of that sharply bitter scent.

She knew it wasn't simply the default smell of the mansion, because the kitchen, bathroom, and Weiss' room didn't smell like that.

Blake followed her nose down the dark hallways, until she realized she'd found herself in the forbidden section of the mansion. She paused there, eyes cutting through the shadows as she attempted to discern what was beyond where she stood.

She'd only ever passed by this way a small handful of times, the first of which having been her first day here when Weiss had shown her around. Blake vaguely remembered that she'd seen an odd purplish glow coming from beneath one of the doors that day.

Presently, she looked for such a thing, and wasn't all that surprised when she found it.

With the utmost caution, she padded forward, bound for that door in particular.

It was deathly quiet.

Her merely walking across the floorboards sounded terribly loud, and she wouldn't have been surprised if the witch revealed herself to Blake right now.

She could only pray that Cinder wouldn't come back anytime soon.

Simply passing by these doors was making Blake's skin crawl, shudders traveling through her body almost nonstop. Her stomach was doing flips, and every fiber of her being was leaning toward the instinct that was screaming at her to turn around and run.

She didn't know what might've been down here.

For all she knew, there was a spell of sorts cast on this hallway, and Cinder already knew Blake was somewhere she wasn't supposed to be.

But Blake needed answers, or at the very least, evidence to start putting her own theories into play.

She paused when she reached the third door on the right, her eyes traveling downward. Sure enough, there was a purple glow coming from underneath.

She crouched down to confirm her fears.

It was that sharp, bitter tang, filling the air more strongly here than anywhere else in the mansion.

With a snort of disgust, Blake recoiled, glaring at the door and cursing whatever was behind it. She wasn't foolish enough to let her curiosity get the better of her, or open any of these doors, not even to so much as peer inside.

She'd witnessed Cinder's ire far too many times within the past several months, and Blake wasn't about to risk her own life after coming this far.

She truly believed she might've been the only person who could get Weiss out of here one day.

The memory of her vow kept her in check, and she didn't spare a second glance at any of those doors as she turned away and scurried back down the hallway.

She'd confirmed that stench was the witch's doing, not a natural part of the mansion. Blake would even go so far as to believe it was part of a spell of sorts, likely dark magic – Cinder didn't seem to practice anything else.

Blake found herself back in the living area, cloaked in the usual darkness with just muffled sunlight trying to shine in past the curtains. Weiss was still on her chair, quietly meditating, and Blake did her best not to disturb her.

She kept as silent as possible as she moved around the room, seeking something in particular, though she wasn't entirely certain what it was.

She was naturally inclined to look at the shelves, few as they were, which were mostly bare.

But there actually were a _few_ things on display here and there.

Blake had never really considered them to be of much importance before, as they'd merely been so commonplace she'd simply overlooked them.

But now she could see the stones for what they truly were.

Moving close to the shelves, Blake found her theory was correct; that awful smell was coming from the tiny decorative rocks placed there. When she peered closely enough, she noticed there was something unnatural about them.

There seemed to be... motion inside of them, almost as though they were eggs with life inside.

Small, glowing lines traveled throughout the rocks like veins, and Blake wasn't all that surprised to discover they were golden.

Just like the embroidery on all of Weiss' clothes.

Those golden lines could only be seen if she looked closely enough, and they were covered by the purple sheen of the rocks themselves. She never would've noticed these things if she'd never thought to look.

And then it hit her – what this golden stuff was – and she was shocked the thought hadn't come to her before.

Dust.

The witch used Dust in her craft, probably stolen or illegally obtained.

Or perhaps she even created it herself. She _did_ often toil hours upon hours away behind those forbidden doors, after all.

And this Dust was just another way of ensuring she kept her first kidnap victim – her prize.

It was cursed stuff, and it was embroidered into every piece of clothing Weiss had in her drawers, leading Blake to believe that Cinder sewed and created every last piece. It made a lot of sense when she thought about it now; Weiss only had dresses and nightgowns to wear, so she could assume those were what was easiest for Cinder to construct, never bothering with pants or long sleeves.

She made all of Weiss' clothes herself, and made sure to infuse them all with enough Dust to keep her under Cinder's awful spells.

And those purple rocks lined the living area, where she demanded Weiss meditate every day.

There was no doubt in Blake's mind that the repugnant scent they emitted also had an affect on the girl. Hence why Cinder only allowed Weiss to meditate in this room, Blake realized. She wanted Weiss to breathe that smell in for as long as possible every day.

Judging by how Weiss had never seemed to be affected by the scent for as long as Blake had been here, she could discern Weiss had been here for much, much longer. Long enough to get used the vile smell and consider it normal.

The witch was trapping Weiss here in every way possible.

Not only was it in stolen memories, physical scars, and emotional abuse, but now Blake realized it was in the clothes that she wore every second of every day and night.

It was in the very air she breathed.

As soon as it all clicked for Blake, she whipped around and hurried over to the chair where Weiss was sitting. With a firm grip, she placed both hands on Weiss' shoulders and shook her once.

"Weiss!" she hissed.

The white-haired girl was startled out of her trance, eyes going wide as she gasped.

"Blake? What is it? I was in the middle of-"

"I just remembered," she said, thinking quickly. "Remembered... something the wi-... Cinder said," she corrected herself.

Weiss tilted her head curiously, her eyes briefly filling with an ounce of fear.

"What was it? What did Mother say? Is she upset?"

"No, no!" Blake quickly soothed her before the panic could take hold on Weiss. She sat down on the cushion beside her, dropping her hands into Weiss' lap to cover the other girl's knuckles. "She's not upset. I just remembered she... told me something..."

Blake was thinking on a whim here, and it was a rather big risk. But it was all she could think to do.

When Weiss was reassured that Cinder wasn't angry with her, she started to calm down a bit.

"What did she say?"

Blake bit her lip, but tried to sound confident when she spoke.

"Actually, she said she wants you to meditate in your room from now on. But only when she isn't here. When she's in the mansion, you can meditate in this spot, but otherwise she told me you were to meditate in your room instead."

Weiss blinked.

"But then why hasn't Mother just told me all of this herself? I should talk to her first to confirm-"

"No!" Blake blurted out. "I-I mean, she told me as she was leaving this morning. And she said not to ask questions or bring it up. She seemed a little angry, and I think if you asked her about it, she might not be happy."

Weiss' countenance immediately changed.

"She'll... be angry? Then I won't ask her."

Blake nodded, relieved.

But she _did_ feel a horrible crawling sensation in her stomach.

She'd just lied to Weiss, and even manipulated her by threatening her with Cinder's rage so that Blake could get what she wanted. It felt horrible, and when Weiss' trusting blue eyes met hers, Blake had to look away.

Blake reminded herself this was all for Weiss' best interest, and she didn't intend to ever do it again.

She took the girl's hand softly, and Blake got to her feet, lightly pulling Weiss along with her.

"Come on. Let's go to your room," she murmured.

"Right. If it's what Mother said, then I've got to."

Weiss followed her down the hallways, away from the awful stench. Blake opened the door to the bedroom, which was much brighter than all the other rooms in the house combined, simply because of its uncovered window.

Blake took Weiss to the bed and had her sit there, encouraging her to meditate in the comfort of her own room now.

Weiss leaned herself back against the pillow and closed her eyes.

Blake watched her for a few minutes, noticing how Weiss' usually-erect posture was now much more relaxed, her tight-knit eyebrows now un-furrowed.

This room was truly their safe haven in this twisted mansion of mazes and dark magic.

Not wanting to disturb Weiss, Blake took a seat on the floor, sitting in a swath of sunlight. She took out one of the books she'd read with Weiss on previous nights, scanning the words and doing her best to sound them out in her head. Weiss needed to relax in this majorly-untainted room, and Blake didn't want to disrupt her, so she didn't say any of the words out loud.

It was the most peaceful day Blake had ever had in this mansion thus far.

. . .

About two hours later, she closed the book and rolled over on the floor, letting the sunlight soak into her skin.

Once she'd sat up, she peeked into the bed to find Weiss slumped against the pillows, breathing deeply, but not in concentration – in slumber.

With a small smile, Blake climbed up beside her and sat down. She wrapped Weiss in her arms and held her for a moment.

Her eyes naturally wandered to the mark on the girl's chest, the very tips of the X just visible at her dress' collar. Blake slowly reached out to adjust the dress, fixing it until the mark was out of sight.

Weiss stirred in her arms just half an hour later, and Blake released her quietly, though the girl was still leaning against her shoulder.

"Blake...?" she mumbled. "I... fell asleep? I've never fallen asleep while meditating before."

"It must've been the change in scenery," Blake shrugged. "It's okay if you fell asleep. It just means you were tired."

Weiss simply nodded.

Not a minute later, the front door of the mansion creaked open, and Weiss hopped out of bed, rushing out to greet Cinder. Blake followed, hoping to catch a breath of fresh, outside air.

Once she entered, Cinder place a bag on the floor, likely filled with groceries or clothing. Blake skidded to a halt a few feet away, peering around the dark crimson cloak to get a view of the outside world without glass in front of it.

It was the same image she always saw past the front door – a few bushes, some grass, another house in the distance...

And then it slammed shut in her face.

Her ears were filled with the usual words.

"Welcome home, Mother!" Weiss ran to Cinder and hugged her waist.

The witch patted her back.

"Did you meditate today?"

"Yes, Mother," Weiss replied. But she didn't mention that she'd done so in her own room, clearly remembering that Blake had said not to bring up that topic or ask questions about it.

Cinder gave a smile, and she was none the wiser.

"Very good."

It was Blake's third victory against the witch.

They soon sat down for dinner, and Blake was sure to eat everything presented to her, whereas Weiss often failed to finish. Cinder never got mad at her for that, though.

The two girls were soon sent along to bed, and after reading through another book together, they curled up side by side.

. . .

From that day onward, Blake truly began her subtle counterattack against Cinder.

Years of Weiss breathing in that Dust-infused spell had desensitized her to it. But Blake was going to get her away from that smell as often as possible, in hopes it might not maintain such a restricting hold on her.

It would take time – as all of this would – but Blake hoped that one day, Weiss would realize just how differently the living room smelled from the rest of the mansion.

Bit by bit, she wanted Weiss to see that this place was a prison, not a home.

* * *

For the next few weeks, Blake would be alert and aware of where Cinder went during the day.

If she went to one of her secret rooms to engage in her personal activities, Blake would follow Weiss to the living room and be forced to stay there with her as she meditated.

Blake would exercise as best she could from the other chair where she sat, stretching at the very least to keep herself flexible and nimble. She refused to become weak because of this mansion.

She suspected the rancid air Weiss breathed in was part of what made her seem so frail. Weiss rarely finished a meal entirely anymore, and her heart was somewhat weak due to the immense stress she'd occasionally suffer. Her days typically consisted of sitting still, bathing, and then lying down for bed.

And unless she wanted to upset the witch, Weiss couldn't do anything to stray from that routine.

But Blake wasn't as limited as Weiss was. She was going to get stronger, so that one day when she was bigger, she might stand a fighting chance against the witch.

On days when Cinder stayed in the mansion, Blake would exercise quietly, cautiously, going over the things Adam had shown her in the past.

But on days Cinder went out, Blake would eagerly lead Weiss back into their bedroom. Weiss would relax on the bed and focus on her breathing, and Blake would retreat to the books and that patch of sunshine.

Blake was sure to be smart about their timing, keeping her keen ears alert for sounds of Cinder, so they were never found out.

They couldn't ever be found out.

. . .

It was on a particularly sunny day when Cinder had just gone out that Blake decided to pose an idea to Weiss.

They were in their bedroom, Weiss just settling onto the mattress to start meditating, but Blake spoke up before she could close her eyes.

"Weiss? Do you think we could open the window?" she ventured.

Blue eyes went wide with shock.

"Blake, we mustn't! Mother said-"

"We're not going to go outside," Blake reassured her. "I just want to open it, that's all."

Weiss fell silent for a moment, her eyes nervously flashing toward the closed door. When her gaze met Blake's once more, she sighed.

"I've... actually always wanted to open it," she said. "I even tried it once. But I couldn't. I unhinged the lock and everything, but I couldn't open it."

"...Really?" Blake flicked an ear. "Could you show me?"

Weiss was a bit perplexed by the request, but she got off the bed nonetheless and went to the window. She reached up to unlock the hinge, then gripped the sill with one hand and the frame with the other.

With a surge of strength, she made an effort to push it upward.

But just as had been the case the first time she'd tried several years ago, the window felt as though it weighed a dozen tons, and it didn't budge.

Weiss tried again, huffing with effort as she pushed with all her might.

Blake watched her, and it didn't take long for her eyes to catch sight of what they'd been seeking.

The little golden patterns all along Weiss' dress started to glow faintly the second she touched the window. They stayed that way until Weiss stumbled away, panting and unsuccessful; only then did the Dust-infused fabrics cease their glowing.

Weiss turned to Blake with a hopeless sigh.

"You see? It's always been like this."

The scene confirmed Blake's assumptions; that the clothes Cinder made for Weiss were also doused in black magics. There was a spell – or perhaps more accurately described as a curse – on this mansion, keeping Weiss in at all costs.

But Blake's clothes hadn't been forged by the witch. She wanted to know what would happen if she were to let Weiss wear her clothes instead, and then asked the girl to try the window.

But Blake felt if she did that now, Weiss would pose far too many questions the Faunus girl couldn't provide satisfying answers to.

Next to keeping both Weiss and herself alive, escape was Blake's top priority. But she reminded herself that it wasn't something that even crossed Weiss' mind.

Presently, she had Weiss take a step back, away from the window. Blake herself had never attempted to open it before, as to not make Weiss upset.

But right now, the white-haired girl wasn't stopping her.

So Blake placed her hands on the sill, ensuring the lock was undone, and then she pushed.

The window opened easily.

She hadn't even used much force – just a bit of a shove, and it had opened.

Fresh, warm air filled the room on a breeze, battling the cold, stagnant air inside.

Blake was temporarily lost in the refreshing sensation that wreathed around her, and she recalled it had been nearly half a year now since she'd last been outside or breathed the fresh air like this.

A few feet behind her, Weiss was astounded. She couldn't remember _ever_ breathing fresh air outside the mansion, so to have it accessible to her so easily now...

She was drawn forward, as if by some mystical trance, until she'd come to a stop beside Blake.

The sunlight reached their skin without glass in the way now, the warm air carrying a plethora of different scents.

Blake closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

There was a scent of flowers, soil, and a bit of rust. She could tell it was summertime now, probably nearing autumn.

The last time she'd seen her parents had been the beginning of spring.

Blake pushed the memories away, knowing she couldn't afford to dwell on them now. The pain still lingered – it always would – but she'd grown more or less accustomed to this secretive life by now.

Or at least, as accustomed as she could be, all things considered.

She wondered how many seasons had passed since _Weiss_ had last seen and remembered her real family.

She felt the girl press against her side, and Blake blinked her eyes back open to glance down at her.

Weiss was awestruck, her gaze fixated on the window and the world beyond, just out of reach. There was even a sparkle flickering in her eyes, something Blake had never seen there before.

A long moment of silence passed between them as they simply marveled in wake of the clean, untainted air.

It was a few minutes before Weiss managed to find her voice and put it to use.

"Blake... how did you...?"

The Faunus girl was careful with her response.

"I just opened it," she said simply.

"But it didn't take you much effort," Weiss mumbled. "I used all of my strength. Why couldn't I do it?"

It was true. Weiss had clearly poured more than enough strength into trying to open that window.

It wasn't that she'd _failed_ to open the window – Weiss wasn't _allowed_ to.

She _could_ have done it, had the mansion not been constructed _specifically_ to prevent her from doing so.

The Dust – around the mansion, in the air, in her clothes – it made sure Weiss couldn't leave, no matter what.

"I'm not sure," Blake mumbled falsely.

But in truth, she knew full-well. Weiss wasn't allowed to leave here – the Dust and dark magics made sure of that.

But Blake hadn't been breathing that rank air for so long.

Blake's clothes weren't infused with Dust.

Blake had opened the window with ease.

She could leave.

Blake could've left here any time she'd wanted to.

Had it not been for Cinder's threats to track down and kill her family, she might've left already.

But she couldn't now, not unless Weiss could come with her.

Still, she wanted to know if it might be possible one day.

Taking a step forward, Blake pushed the rim of the window up as far as it could go. Bracing her palms on the sill, she slowly leaned forward, until her head and shoulders were outside entirely. Her ears perked tall, and she took in a deep, deep breath.

She could get out anytime she wanted to. If she could just run fast enough to find her parents and warn them, they all might've been able to move quickly enough before Cinder caught them.

The thought was immensely tempting...

But a small tug on her shirt brought her back to the present.

Weiss was begging her to come back inside, so Blake pulled away from the window sill.

"I think we should close it now," Weiss mumbled. "If Mother found out it was open, I fear she'd get mad."

Blake cast a longing glance back at the window. She'd already grown addicted to the fresh air, and she didn't want to shut it out just yet. Besides, there was one final thing she wanted to try.

"We will," she said. "We'll close it before she gets back. But... just try to do what I did. Lean out the window for a minute and just breathe."

Weiss gave her a puzzled, dubious look.

Blake returned it with an encouraging nod and a smile.

The Faunus girl knew she could fit out the window if she tried, and there was no doubt in her mind that Weiss – with her smaller, slimmer stature – could slip out with even less effort.

She just wanted Weiss to feel the sunlight directly, to breathe in that fresh air scented with flowers. If she could let Weiss do this every day - or at least as often as possible - she hoped to get Weiss curious about the outside world, and maybe even eager to leave one day.

But for now, she simply coaxed Weiss to the window.

"Just take a breath," she insisted.

Weiss held her golden gaze for a moment, then turned to the window. It was certainly a pleasant warmth in contrast to the perpetually-cold air of the mansion.

Slowly, she advanced toward the window, until she'd rested her hands on the sill.

Blake watched her with a smile, wanting Weiss to remember what it was like to be free...

But that smile instantly faded when she caught sight of Weiss' dress.

The Dust was starting to glow faintly again.

Blake had assumed the spell only stopped Weiss from opening the window, so she didn't think the Dust would activate again. Something knotted in her gut, and Blake swallowed.

"Weiss, wait-!"

But she was too late.

Blake reached out in an effort to pull Weiss away from the window, but the girl had already leaned forward.

Or at least tried to.

The second Weiss' skin passed through the open window, an instantaneous screen of golden steam was produced. The steam highlighted something for a split second – a seemingly invisible barrier of sorts that had been placed outside the window, and likely around the entire mansion.

It hadn't affected Blake at all.

But Weiss was thrown back several feet, an agonized scream filling the air as a shock like lightning shot through her body. Blake lunged forward, falling to her knees and managing to catch the girl just in time before her head could collide with the floor.

"Weiss!" she cried. "Are you-"

But another tortured scream cut off her question.

"Blake!" Weiss gasped. "I-It hurts!" Her eyes were squeezed shut in agony, and Weiss' body jolted as she curled in on herself. Blake noticed that the golden steam had dissipated by the window, but there was still some surrounding Weiss.

Frantically, Blake turned the girl over onto her back, pushing the collar of her dress down a bit.

The source of the steam was as she'd expected - the X-shaped scar on Weiss' chest. Its color had seemed to fade over the weeks since Cinder had inflicted it, but now it was a garish crimson once again.

The color seemed to pulse in time with Weiss' heartbeat, which Blake could clearly feel was hammering far too quickly.

She could only think to pull Weiss into her arms as the girl screamed again.

Blake laid a hand across Weiss' chest, hoping the coolness of her fingers could provide a bit of relief. The girl's skin was hot to the touch, and the pulse beneath was erratic and thick.

"Weiss!" she whispered. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't know this would-"

Another pained scream cut her off again. Blake merely bit her tongue and cradled Weiss in her arms, murmuring apology after apology.

It was several minutes later when Weiss' heart rate started to slow, and the heat in her chest ebbed away. The white-haired girl gasped painfully, her cheeks stained with tears.

The scene was all-too familiar to Blake.

This meant that Weiss physically _could not_ leave the mansion. The spell was too strong on her, especially now that Cinder had carved that mark over her heart.

The Faunus girl knew now that even if Weiss were to wear Blake's clothes rather than the dresses the witch sewed for her, Weiss still wouldn't be able to leave this place. The cursed clothes helped keep her where she should be – inside – but even without them, it would be impossible for her to leave. The curse had too tight of a hold on her now - congesting her mind, covering her skin, filling her lungs, and now even stretching as far as her heart.

It was the biggest, most detrimental setback Blake had encountered within the past six months of being trapped here.

But that didn't mean she'd give up on trying to get Weiss out of here.

It just meant she'd have to be even more careful in the future.

"I'm sorry," she murmured again.

Weiss panted for breath, burying her face into the Faunus girl's shoulder and sobbing softly.

Blake knew now that bringing Weiss outside was out of the question. It wasn't about getting out any longer.

She'd need to break this curse somehow. Only then could Weiss truly be free of Cinder's grasp.

But Blake had no idea how to go about doing that.

She didn't have the time or patience to think about all of that now, though.

Instead, she gathered Weiss into her arms and lifted her up, carrying her over to the bed. Blake laid her down, passing her gaze over the mark once again. It was still red and fluctuating in color a bit. Blake kept her palm over it until she felt Weiss' heart calm down.

"I'll be right back," she promised.

Blake dashed out of the room, bolting for the bathroom to grab a rag and wet it with cold water. She was back at Weiss' side within a matter of seconds, holding the cloth to her heaving chest.

Weiss closed her eyes for a long while, until the tears stopped and the salty trails on her cheeks had dried. When she next reopened her eyes, she turned a tormented gaze on Blake.

"Why..." she rasped. "Why did that happen...? Why can't I... go outside...?"

Blake swallowed, unsure of if she should reveal the truth.

But Weiss was in so much pain, and she was begging her.

Blake sighed and spoke softly.

"Cinder... she won't let you," she explained. "It's a spell. Or a curse."

"A... curse...?" Weiss mumbled. "But why would Mother do that? Why would she... curse _me?_ "

Blake couldn't think of an answer that wouldn't violate her intangible contract with the witch. She wasn't supposed to let Weiss question Cinder's methods, or else Blake would be jeopardizing her parents' lives.

So the Faunus girl merely shook her head.

"I don't know..." she sighed.

Weiss blinked at her slowly.

"I'm sure... it's just because she loves me..." she decided. "The outside world must be terrible... so terrible... that Mother would go through such lengths to keep me s-safe inside this place..."

The tears had started to fall again.

Blake's ears drooped as she listened to the girl.

Weiss' mind could only think highly of Cinder, as it had been conditioned to.

But her body was reacting as though it knew of the deceit, of how _wrong_ this was. Her heart knew, and her body knew, but Weiss' mind couldn't comprehend that.

Blake said nothing, merely continuing to hold the cloth in place on Weiss' collar. She could only let a few tears of her own fall before she curled up beside Weiss and laid down.

"I'm sorry," she said, and it was all she could hear herself saying. "I'm sorry..."

. . .

By the time the witch had returned, Weiss could walk again, and she went to greet her mother as required.

She didn't eat even half of her dinner, though, and even Blake left a bit of leftovers. She wasn't sure if she saw suspicion in Cinder's amber eyes, but after Weiss had said goodnight to her, the witch didn't bother them.

Before long, Blake found herself back in Weiss' room.

They'd both bathed and changed into sleep clothes, then gone through the usual routine of reading quietly together in the lamplight.

Blake realized they'd never closed the window earlier, but Weiss never requested to have it shut. The fresh air was liberating in this dungeon of a place, and their bodies were pining for it.

Blake was intent to leave it open as often as possible for as long as possible, only closing it when it got too cold or when she knew Cinder would be coming in to put new clothes into their drawers or to change bed sheets.

But that night, the window remained open all the way through.

Blake wrapped Weiss in her arms as she always did, emitting a very faint purr to help her sleep. Weiss clung to her back as she started slipping away.

"Goodnight, Blake..." she whispered. "I'm glad you could... open the window today..."

"Me, too," she said. "I'm sorry you got hurt, though. I never meant for that to happen."

"I know you didn't," Weiss breathed. "It doesn't hurt anymore."

Blake bit back a sob and squeezed her tighter.

"Weiss... I promise that... one day, it won't hurt anymore. One day... there won't be any pain. You won't have to be scared..."

She wasn't sure if the girl had heard her or not.

Weiss merely released a long, withering sigh, and fell silently into slumber.

Before Blake could fall asleep too, she shed a few more tears, blinking them away like regrets that never ended.

But she wasn't helpless anymore.

She knew many things about this mansion, about the Dust, about Cinder, and about Weiss.

She knew it would take time.

She knew it would take emotional and physical strength on both of their parts.

She knew it would take earning Weiss' trust and her love.

But Blake would hold true to her promise if it was the last thing she ever did.

* * *

 **A/N: Now that a lot of information about Weiss' curse has been revealed, you can start preparing for some bigger events to come.**

 **Ch 6 preview: _Time started to become almost insignificant, and what took precedence – at least for Blake – was instinct. She never forgot about the things she'd learned, witnessed, and experienced since stepping foot into this mansion months ago._**

 ** _But she couldn't afford to lash out or counter against the witch yet. All she could do was wait for some sort of sign, or at the very least, wait for the morning when her instincts were screaming so loudly at her to act that she couldn't refuse._**

 **If you like my work, please support me on as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	7. Chapter 6 - Revelation

**In this chapter, it will mark several time skips, so please read attentively.**

 **WARNINGS for mental/physical/psychological abuse.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 6. Revelation

Every day was battle.

Either it was a race against time and physically avoiding the witch's potential wrath, or it was a silent struggle to persist and not relinquish a grasp on hope.

Blake did all she could to keep Weiss out of Cinder's presence whenever possible.

Sometimes, she succeeded in convincing Weiss it wasn't necessary to see the witch, but others, Blake would have no choice but to stand by silently and bear witness to the same scenes of false affection that had made her skin crawl since day one.

She continued her own methods of subtle rebellion - stretching, exercising, and building up her strength whenever the opportunity presented itself. And she kept herself alert and attentive at all times of the day, listening for sounds of the witch.

It soon became routine between Blake and Weiss that whenever Cinder left the mansion, they would retreat to their room together to meditate and breathe in the fresh air from the window.

The process became so natural to them, that soon there was no longer any risk of Cinder finding out. The girls were always punctual and would rush to Cinder at the second chime of the bell to welcome her home, leaving the witch none the wiser.

Blake kept the window in their bedroom open as often as possible, unless she knew Cinder would be entering to provide them with clean bedsheets or fill the drawers with new clothes.

That was one thing Blake still didn't know how to refute – the Dust-embroidered clothes that flared gold in warning every time Weiss got too close to a window or door that led outside.

But at the very least, Blake had halved their time in the rancid-smelling parts of the mansion, and every single night was spent huddled together to read and eventually fall asleep together.

The X-shaped mark on Weiss' chest never faded away as Blake hoped it would. It simply remained a constant reminder of that horrible evening several months ago.

The two girls were daring and cautious when Cinder wasn't around, and they were loyal and obedient when she was.

Blake did nothing more that would warrant her rage or disapproval – at least, nothing the witch was aware of, anyway.

But the point was that there had been no incidents of Weiss' panic attacks for over a full month now. The white-haired girl was calmer, more confident, and smiled more often.

Of course, it still meant she sought out Cinder's praise and love, but Blake was always sure to be the last person Weiss saw, heard, and felt before she fell asleep each night.

The daily routine was something Blake grew accustomed to and didn't try to challenge. Not for a while.

Of course, it was torment to always wait another day.

And another.

And another.

And it was even more torturous to wait until those days had merged into weeks - and then months - of inaction on her part.

But she couldn't risk anything happening, not yet, not when she was still building up her physical strength and helping Weiss to shape her emotional stability.

And so, time started to become a fleeting thing.

Days sped by, seemingly unimportant hours until the two girls could curl up together in their private evening time without risk of being bothered or interfered with.

That was still Blake's favorite part of every day.

Time started to become almost insignificant, and what took precedence – at least for Blake – was instinct. She never forgot about the things she'd learned, witnessed, and experienced since stepping foot into this mansion months ago.

But she couldn't afford to lash out or counter against the witch yet. All she could do was wait for some sort of sign, or at the very least, wait for the morning when her instincts were screaming so loudly at her to act that she couldn't refuse.

But for a little while, all was almost peaceful in that prison of a mansion.

After Blake had ceased her initial nosiness about the place and stopped trying to fight Cinder's rules, things fell into an odd state of antebellum.

The witch would merely smile kindly at both girls as she called them to breakfast. Then she'd either retreat to her secret rooms, or pull up her hood and venture out into town.

Blake and Weiss would wait until she was gone before either going to the living area or their bedroom accordingly. Upon Cinder's return, it would be the usual "welcome back" and then preparing supper.

Every other evening, Weiss and Blake bathed themselves, and those were really the only times they weren't right beside one another. Blake was always quick with her showers, never knowing if Cinder might be hurting Weiss somehow without Blake's knowledge, or perhaps praising and pampering her, which was almost just as bad.

The "good morning" embraces and "goodnight" kisses were things Blake could do nothing but watch for, but the rest of the time, she didn't want Cinder within arm's length of Weiss if she could help it.

There were only minimal incidents of Cinder's anger now, like the occasional disapproving comment when Weiss couldn't finish all of her supper, or a warning glare to get the girls to do something she'd already asked them to do twice before.

And sometimes, Blake would see the beginning signs of the panic on Weiss' expression, see the little red flares and wisps of steam emitting from her chest.

Once that started, making Cinder content and calming Weiss down were the only objectives, which needed to be done in that order. As soon as the witch was satisfied and out of sight, Blake was sure to pull Weiss in to her and help her relax, murmuring reassurances and purring softly.

Days of being constantly cautious and mindful of their tasks and behavior was what soon became two full months without Weiss suffering a single full attack.

Blake recognized the pattern before long; keeping Cinder happy meant keeping Weiss out of jeopardy.

Therefore, Blake did everything she had to in order to reach that end goal every single day.

And more days merged into weeks, and more weeks merged into months.

Seasons passed, and soon Blake was forced to start shutting their window at night simply so Weiss and herself wouldn't freeze under the already-frigid mansion air.

In the mornings, she would open the window to let in the crisp freshness of the autumn air, encouraging Weiss to breathe it in even despite its chill. The mansion air was already cold, and Blake figured that adding a bit more chilled air to that wouldn't make much of a difference or raise the witch's suspicions.

It was merely a matter of being mindful of _how_ cold it got in their bedroom, because if it was bad enough that either one or both of them was shivering, the window would need to be shut.

It was always Blake who opened and closed it. Even when Weiss showed interest in getting near or touching the sill just to feel the sunlight again, Blake would gently pull her away.

"I just don't want you to get hurt again," she said. "It was... really terrifying to watch that first time, and I don't ever want to see it again."

And Weiss understood. So she abided by Blake's wishes and always kept a good foot or so of distance between the window and herself when she ventured over to enjoy their air or the sunlight.

Even if the mornings and daytimes were a bit chilly, evenings were always warm.

Blake liked to think the end of the day was also Weiss' favorite part as well. She always seemed to enjoy curling up to read to Blake, and then consequently hugging her close when she fell asleep.

Blake preferred letting Weiss fall asleep first, making sure she was safely tucked away into a peaceful realm of slumber first and foremost. Only then would Blake allow herself to follow.

There was the occasional nightmare, and Blake suffered them just as often as Weiss did.

Luckily for them, it was always just one or the other, but never both of them on the same night. When the nightmares harassed them, they'd wake flustered, panting, and vulnerable.

When it was Blake who was suffering, Weiss had a difficult time trying to comfort her. She'd never needed to take care of anyone else before in her life that she could recall, and so trying to help Blake through those frightful nights was always a challenge. She would simply hold the Faunus girl, pet her hair and ears for her, and even start to hum softly.

That was how Blake discovered how beautiful of a voice Weiss had. It always served to calm her down whenever Weiss sang or even just hummed to her. She assumed it was almost the equivalent of the effect it had on Weiss whenever Blake would purr for her.

The vibrations were a constant, pleasant, but light pressure against her chest – calming, and slow. It always sent the other off to sleep without any further interruptions.

Weiss made sure Blake never had to suffer for longer than a few minutes before she was relaxed once more. And Blake made sure Weiss never retreated into Cinder's room for comfort at night anymore.

Blake was the one that provided the comfort for everything; nightmares, scoldings, random, poignant memories Weiss had no control over seeing. It was always a man and another young girl, and as the visions increased with frequency, Blake knew for certain now it must've been Weiss' real family.

But she didn't dare reveal such a thing to her, for fear of the reaction.

Despite everything, Weiss still viewed Cinder as her mother and only family. But with the way the straying memories were resurfacing more and more frequently in various forms, Blake knew this forged life wouldn't last forever.

Cinder had repainted Weiss' memory to please herself, but that paint was starting to chip away bit by bit.

Whenever Weiss thought of the man and other girl, Blake was certain she never told Cinder about it. If the witch caught on that Weiss was beginning to remember her true childhood - even if it was only in confusing dreams and nonsensical thoughts - Blake feared she might cut into Weiss' memories again to destroy them.

She guessed that had been what Cinder had done initially, sliced into Weiss' left eye in order to pull the memories from her mind.

But the things Weiss was recalling now were memories she kept stored in her heart. And although Cinder had marked the skin over her chest as well, Weiss' heart was still her own.

And Blake knew she now resided in a portion part of Weiss' heart as well. She just wanted to hold a bigger spot than Cinder did.

Blake wouldn't even attempt to deny that she had come to love Weiss; she just wasn't entirely sure what kind of love it was. It seemed to be more than the love of a stranger, and more akin to the love of a sister or very close friend. A protector, and also someone who would stand beside her through thick and thin.

But she didn't dare _say_ that word - not yet.

She merely _showed_ her love by continuing to care for Weiss in every way she could.

Maybe one day, after they escaped this place, they could explore that love a bit more...

. . .

Winter came and went, breathing a blanket of white onto the world for a time before the sun ultimately melted it away once again.

A very rare day occurred, when Cinder came back from town one day with a treat for the two girls; a small apple pie. She told them it was Weiss' birthday that day, though Blake merely assumed it was the anniversary of the day she'd been taken.

Of course, the little celebration served to make Weiss happy beyond explanation. The only downside to it all was the excess affection Cinder gave her that day, along with a brand new Dust-embroidered dress.

Blake was certain to hug Weiss for longer than usual that night behind closed doors in an effort to shove all thoughts and contact from the witch away. She told Weiss many things that night, making sure Weiss knew that Blake loved her without explicitly stating as much.

"I'm glad we could be together here," she said. "I'm glad I could be your friend. I'm glad I could help make the pain go away, even just a little bit."

Weiss returned every embrace with just as much tightness, just as much need, and just as much gratitude.

"I'm glad you're here with me too, Blake. Thank you for not leaving. If you left... I'd miss you very much."

That night had been especially warm, even despite the last few cold breezes of winter air.

But with each passing day, that air became warmer and warmer.

And before Blake knew it, the springtime marked an entire year she'd been trapped in this mansion.

She continued to train herself, building up muscle, eating all she could. Every day that Weiss meditated in her bedroom rather than the living area was a day she didn't have to be so close to the cursed, poisonous scent of the Dust.

Weiss taught Blake how to read fluently, until she could do so on her own and without saying the words aloud.

Weiss kept true to her promise, and Blake did as well.

She didn't let Weiss get hurt anymore, didn't try to challenge Cinder or make her upset anymore.

However, she _did_ realize that sometimes, the witch would intentionally get angry at them, a deliberate display of rage that held the sole purpose of terrifying Weiss into a state of disarray. She made sure to remind Weiss who was in charge, remind _Blake_ that Weiss couldn't survive without Cinder's approval.

Blake couldn't always prevent those times, but she always did her best to help Weiss afterward.

But it was still clear that Weiss physically couldn't be freed from the witch's clutches. Her body still shut down in the face of Cinder's ire, and her heart would become excessively stressed.

A few times, Blake even needed to take Weiss into the bathroom so she could be sick, a new development in her body's reaction. It was rare, but when such an instance did occur, it was always agonizing, both for Weiss to experience and for Blake to watch.

There was nothing Weiss could do but shake and sob and vomit, and nothing Blake could do but hold her hair, rub her back, and clean her up once it was all over.

It always served to remind Blake that no matter how well things might've seemed to be going some days – with Weiss breathing in less of the cursed air, with her refusal to go to Cinder for comfort and instead opting to stay with Blake, with her gradually-increasing confidence and happiness – that Weiss was still undoubtedly under Cinder's control.

It would still take more time before Blake could decide to act, to reveal Cinder's true nature to Weiss.

It was a perpetual ride of ups and downs, from one extreme to the other, from a day of smiles and relaxation to an evening of sickness and torment.

Still, Blake waited.

She waited for the day her instincts would tell her to take action.

Blake's own birthday passed once.

Then twice.

Then three times.

Then four...

. . .

. .

. . .

For over four years, she lived in that prison with Weiss, under the dark energy of the witch.

And though Blake did her best to rebel right under Cinder's nose in every way possible without risking Weiss' or her own wellbeing, the Faunus girl had yet to receive any kind of sign that today was the day to get out.

Rather, every day was a day she wanted to escape, but she never found a proper excuse to do so, not one she could explain to Weiss, anyway.

Now, at the age of sixteen, Blake had built up a lot of strength, power, and muscle. She would've carried Weiss out through the window herself without looking back if she could have, but that cursed mark on the white-haired girl's chest physically prevented her from leaving the mansion.

There was no doubt in Blake's mind that she herself could get out, but she'd be leaving Weiss behind to scream in agony as the mark burned into her heart.

Blake was now more than certain she could leave this place and run quickly enough through town to gather information about her parents. She could find them and flee with them before the witch could ever hope to find them.

Blake was nimble, speedy, and very physically capable of doing so.

But her heart kept her tied down here.

She loved Weiss, and it was evident to her that it was less of a sisterly love now.

She could still recall the most recent winter, how unbearably cold and unforgiving it had been. Despite how much they'd both grown over the years, Blake and Weiss still slept in the same bed together, huddled beneath the blankets.

It had been a night when Cinder had lashed out at Weiss, yelled furiously at her for the most trivial of reasons, just to make her tremble.

Weiss had cried all night in Blake's arms, and after hours of broken purrs and meek embraces, Blake had caved.

She'd resorted to kissing Weiss, giving in to her desires and pressing her lips over the girl's scarred cheek, her brow, her nose and her neck.

And Weiss had whimpered, heart pounding for more reasons than one as she'd clung to Blake and eventually bumped their lips together.

From that moment on, the love between them had been unavoidable, unalterable, and unable to be concealed.

Blake had feared Cinder's reaction to it, feared that she might go so far as to actually kill Blake or punish Weiss severely.

But when she'd found out, the witch had only smiled and clapped her hands together once before pulling Weiss - and even Blake - in close to her.

"Splendid," she's said. "That's just wonderful."

At first, Blake had been skeptical of the woman's easy acceptance of such a major development.

But she soon understood why the witch approved of and even encouraged their relationship.

Because now it restrained them without question.

Blake and Weiss were inseparable. If the Faunus girl were to leave now, it would shatter Weiss indefinitely.

Blake wouldn't do that do her. She _couldn't._

And she and Cinder both knew as much.

Blake wasn't tied down by a curse, she hadn't inhaled dark magics for so many years, she didn't adorn clothes ridden with Dust particles. Blake was absolutely free now, with the risk of Cinder's threat to kill her parents a mere distant memory.

But at what cost would her freedom come?

Weiss would be devastated, and likely her body would react violently. With such an abused heart beating in Weiss' chest, weak from years of excessive stress and strain, Blake's deserting her could very well be a catalyst to make Weiss too sick to ever get better.

Blake and Cinder knew that the Faunus girl could leave whenever she wanted.

But she never would.

Not without Weiss.

And Weiss couldn't leave so long as the curse was in place.

And even after four years, Blake hadn't figured out how they could possibly break it.

She had a certain theory, but not much evidence to prove it. Not a single day yielded new results or new ideas that she hadn't already pondered before.

There was only one thing she could think of; to love the girl more than Weiss thought Cinder ever had or could.

Blake wanted to prove her love to Weiss, make her realize the difference between an abuser's twisted love and a partner's pure love.

She kissed Weiss every morning, and it was always one of the first things out of her mouth.

"I love you, Weiss."

And the response was always the same.

Weiss would always smile and hug her, then kiss her in return.

Blake said it as often as she could. After Weiss had finished her daily meditation, be it in her room or not, Blake would pull the girl into her lap and lean against her. She'd wrap Weiss in her arms, nuzzle into her neck, and emit a gentle purr.

"I love you."

And Weiss would kiss her cheek, then her lips, and return the phrase.

"I love you too, Blake."

And again at night, after Weiss had bid Cinder goodnight, and after she and Blake had re-read one of the many books they already knew by heart, Blake would kiss her and say it again.

"Goodnight, Weiss. I love you."

And Weiss would sigh, breathing in the fresh air from their secretly-ajar window as she pressed herself close to her companion.

"I love you, Blake."

At the very least, they could confess it candidly now, though they tended to avoid doing so in Cinder's direct presence.

They kept their relationship private, despite the fact that the witch was fully aware of it.

And it almost unnerved Blake how accepting Cinder was about all of this. She thought the woman would be enraged that Blake was attempting to steal Weiss away from her.

But Cinder seemed to welcome and encouraged their relationship, or at the very least, she very did little to impose upon it.

All because she knew they were inevitably trapping one another inside that mansion with their affections.

Blake was highly suspicious for a time, but never let that get in the way of her love for Weiss.

. . .

Three months had passed since the girls had first kissed, and summer was well underway now.

Blake spent her time resting or reading in the single ray of sunlight in the bedroom as Weiss went through her usual meditation.

And despite the calmness and stillness of the present day, Blake couldn't shake the feeling that something was brewing. It felt like a dark cloud was looming just over the distant horizon. She could sense the sparks beginning to form in the air, but there was no telling how close or far away the storm was.

She stuck close to Weiss that day, closer than usual.

But Cinder returned to the mansion as per usual, prepared supper, and then saw them off to bed.

Blake stayed awake and alert for an hour after she'd wished Weiss goodnight.

But still, nothing happened. That prickling sensation merely continued to fester in the back of her mind, making her throat dry.

Yet the night was quiet and still, so in the end, she merely dipped her head down to Weiss' collar, pressed an ear to her chest to listen, and let the girl's steady pulse lull her to sleep.

* * *

The following morning was bright and sunny, but the storm felt like it was directly upon Blake.

It felt stifling, as though the air were charged with sparks of electricity. Her ears kept swiveling, her mouth was arid, and her heart was thumping quickly.

When Weiss woke, she noticed something was wrong instantly.

"Blake? What is it? Did you have another nightmare?" She sat up in bed quickly, helping Blake up beside her and wrapping the Faunus girl gently in her arms.

But Blake could only shake her head.

"No... But... something feels off. I can't explain it. Just... let's be careful today, okay?"

Weiss nodded, pressing a soft kiss to Blake's cheek to calm her a bit.

It was welcome distraction, as was the kiss Weiss held to her lips but a moment later.

But it wasn't long before the bell rang twice, and the two girls stood from the mattress and ventured to the kitchen.

Blake stuck a little closer to Weiss than usual, subtly moving the other girl's chair an inch closer to her own rather than near Cinder's when the witch had her back turned.

It was the same routine as per usual; they took their seats, were given their plates of food, and ate in silence.

Cinder seemed strangely noncommittal throughout the meal. She didn't send those little glares of disapproval to Weiss or of warning to Blake, nor did she grunt or growl at Weiss to finish her food.

To Blake, the witch seemed to be lost in deep thought, distracted by something. She could only imagine whatever it was would have consequences for herself and Weiss sooner or later.

Blake did her best that morning not to test the witch's patience. Once she'd finished eating, the Faunus girl took her plate to the sink to wash and dry it, and Weiss joined her shortly afterward. Blake focused on her task, trying to act collected and calm as per usual.

But that was a little difficult to do when she felt long, bony fingers wrap around her shoulder.

She froze as that all-too-familiar sharp and bitter scent filled her lungs directly.

"Take care of this, too," Cinder murmured, setting her own plate down on the counter by Blake's elbows. "I've got business to attend to. Today's an important day."

The fingers slid away from Blake's shoulder, clicking heels leading away. When she turned her head, the witch was gone without a trace, not even the flutter of her crimson cloak left in her wake.

Blake remembered to breathe again. She didn't like the feeling that slithered through her spine like a serpent, and she instinctively stepped a bit closer to Weiss, their shoulders brushing. She picked up Cinder's plate and began to wash it. The second it hit the running water, the leftover food stains and remnants on the plate began to drip off, looking red.

Blake swallowed hard at the image of blood it created in her mind, and she turned up the water quickly in hopes to wash it away.

* * *

With the hood of her enchanted cloak up, even the intense summer sunlight didn't bother Cinder as she kept to the corners of the buildings, blending with the shadows.

But she passed by the marketplace without a second glance this time.

She hadn't ventured out to find food or clothing today. She was after a different prize entirely.

The two girls back at the mansion had grown big enough by now, more than physically capable of the task she had in mind for them.

Over five years of toilsome work in one of her various forbidden rooms had only just yielded favorable results a few nights ago. It had taken a bit longer than she perhaps might've liked, but at the very least now she was certain that what she had created could be utilized by the one it was created for.

She would just need something to test it out on.

And this town was crawling with targets.

She'd take her time in choosing one.

* * *

Blake's ears flicked as the mansion's doors shut not a moment later.

She was still unsettled by Cinder's words, and as she and Weiss finished putting the plates away, Blake couldn't stop herself from thinking out loud.

"What's today?" she wondered. "Why is today important?"

Weiss paused and looked back to her, blue eyes equally as puzzled as gold.

"I'm not sure. It isn't either of our birthdays, that's for sure. We just had them..." Weiss mumbled. "I don't think we've ever celebrated something in the middle of the summer. Perhaps Mother's creating a new event or something?"

Blake's ears flattened; if it was something the witch was concocting, it couldn't be good for either Weiss or herself.

Blake wiped her hands on a small towel before finding Weiss' fingers, grasping them firmly.

"Come on," she muttered. "Let's go back to our room and get some fresh air."

The headed to their blue-painted bedroom once more. Whatever Cinder had in store for them upon her return, at the very least Weiss wouldn't have inhaled as much of the toxic fumes as the witch might've liked her to.

Blake opened the door, and once inside, Weiss closed it behind herself. They'd made it a habit of closing the window when they weren't in the room, just to be safe. It was closed at present, and before Blake could take a step toward it, Weiss tugged her wrist gently.

"Let me try," she insisted.

Blake instantly shook her head.

"Weiss, no. It's the same every time. The curse is still on you."

"But who knows? Maybe there could be times when it lapses, and I would think that would be when Mother is away."

"You've tried this several times before and it's always the same, Weiss."

"Well, I want to try again," she declared. "There's no harm in it."

"There _is!_ " Blake hissed in frustration. "You'll get hurt again!"

"I won't try for long," Weiss promised. "But please, Blake. I've at least got to try." She lifted her face, until her honest blue eyes were boring directly into Blake's apprehensive ones.

Blake hissed again; Weiss knew she couldn't resist her request with determination like that.

So the Faunus girl stepped away, letting Weiss advance toward the window.

"One push," Blake said. "If you can't open it after one push, you need to stop right away, alright?"

"Alright." Weiss nodded, stepping closer to the window. "I won't try to go outside. I just want to try and open it. That's all."

They could both vividly remember what would happen if Weiss tried to go outside so much as an inch past the mansion's walls, and neither was willing to risk that happening again.

Blake stayed close behind Weiss, peering over her shoulder to watch the girl. The lock was already unhinged, so the window should've opened easily.

At least, to anyone who wasn't cursed.

Blake watched as Weiss placed her hands on the window sill, palms upward and ready to push up against the weight of the glass.

Even before she made contact with it, however, Blake could already see those familiar golden lines lighting up around the hem of her blue dress. She bit back a whimper as Weiss surged upward with all of her strength.

Being sixteen years old now rather than just eight or ten, Weiss thought she might've stood a chance at budging the thing.

But it was clear that her curse had no age, and it didn't care how old she was either.

She was met not with lenience, but with the same immovable, tectonic resistance as she always encountered. She huffed, bracing herself harder, rooting her shoes into the floorboards as she pushed with everything she had.

Blake could only watch for so long, but when the Dust in Weiss' clothing started to flare even brighter, she couldn't let this continue.

"Weiss, stop-" Blake reached forward, wrapping her arms around the girl's torso, and guiding her back a few paces.

Weiss' chest was already heaving frantically, a faint trail of steam rising up from her collar. Blake turned her around, pushing the fabrics of her dress to one side to reveal the scarlet X over her chest. It was pulsing quickly, the dormant pink now exchanged for a garish red every other second.

Blake whimpered and pulled her close, kissing Weiss' temple softly. Weiss felt substantially warmer than she had only seconds ago, the feverish aftereffects yet another part of the curse. She clung to Blake's shirt with shaking hands, panting into her shoulder.

"I-I'm sorry..." she rasped. "I thought that m-maybe I-"

"I know," Blake soothed. "You tried. But the curse is still as strong as ever. So just save your breath, okay? Calm down. Breathe..."

She didn't want this to turn into another attack. They'd managed to go nearly two months now without Weiss suffering a full-on panic attack, not from the curse nor from a violent reaction from Cinder's wrath.

Blake rubbed up and down the girl's back, purring quietly. She kissed her cheek, over the scar, then her lips, pushing a bit of air into Weiss' lungs.

After that, Blake bent down, holding a long, deep kiss over the red mark on her chest.

Weiss' skin was smooth and without ridges from the old wound now that so many years had passed. But her skin was still hot to the touch due to aggravated the curse.

Blake kissed her there, holding the girl steady in her arms as she waited for Weiss' pulse to drop and the heat to die down.

"It's okay," she purred. "You're fine."

After a moment had passed, Weiss had regained her breath. Blake straightened up to kiss her lips once more, glad to feel Weiss had calmed down again, the radiant heat to her skin gradually cooling.

The Dust-embroidered clothes certainly enforced the curse on Weiss, but that mark on her chest was where the majority of the power resided, and Blake could never alter that without somehow breaking the curse first.

She was done with risking Weiss' wellbeing in all of this. She needed to figure out how to break the curse on her own.

She kissed Weiss again, murmuring softly against her lips.

"I love you. Don't forget that, okay?"

Weiss sighed, letting it out on a long exhale.

"I won't. I never will, Blake. No matter what happens, I'll never forget that."

Blake pulled her into another kiss, and then another hug. She then coaxed Weiss to the bed, having her sit down.

"Try to meditate, okay?" she said. "Just relax now and focus on your breathing. I'll open the window."

Weiss slipped out of her shoes and pulled her legs up onto the bed, nodding.

Once she was comfortable, Blake returned to the window and pushed it open with ease. It was a bit infuriating how simple a task it was to someone like her, free of the horrid curse cast upon this place. Weiss had just struggled with all her might and hadn't so much as budged the thing. She never had.

But the fresh air was coming in now, filling the room with the scent of flowers and even a bit of cool water, probably running down the edges of the streets from where people had used hoses to wash their cars or water their lawns.

It all seemed so strange, how other people lived normal lives just a few miles away, with no knowledge whatsoever of what went on inside these mansion walls...

Blake sat down on the floor in a patch of sunlight, drawing one of the books out from the shelf. She'd read them all a hundred times by now, and thanks to Weiss' teachings, she was an expert at reading in her head.

But she still enjoyed revisiting these stories, the ones she'd first read several years ago with Weiss when the white-haired girl had just been teaching her how to comprehend written words.

Blake leaned her back against the bottom of the bed, settling her weight comfortably, though she kept one ear turned to the side to focus on Weiss. It was clear by her controlled breathing now that she was meditating and in a state of relaxation, which allowed Blake herself to let the tension ebb away.

After the startling incident at the window, the following hours were spent in tranquility.

Little did they know that those hours would be some of – if not _the –_ last hours of peace they'd ever experience here.

* * *

Around three hours after noon, Blake had been dozing lightly when her ears flicked and picked up on the sound of commotion at the front door.

She straightened up, getting to her feet to wake Weiss in preparation to go and greet Cinder.

Weiss roused herself from her trance and stretched, slipping her feet back into her white shoes, ready to head out to the door.

But the two rings of the bell never came as expected.

Usually, Cinder would ring it right after stepping foot inside the mansion.

For a moment, Blake was fearful the witch would discover them in this room rather than the living area, which was where Weiss was supposed to meditate daily. But she bit her lip and kept her mouth shut, maintaining a firm grip on Weiss' hand as she listened.

There seemed to be a ruckus of sorts, as though Cinder was stumbling around, knocking into things. But there were no voices, no shouting or screaming, just thuds and bumps.

Blake's heart started to pound, and she didn't miss the nervous glances Weiss kept sending her way. The Faunus girl moved quietly across the room, first to shut the window, then to get closer to the door, listening. Weiss stayed silent beside her, anxious now that Cinder hadn't called for them as per usual.

Blake closed her eyes, focusing on where the sounds of movement were coming from and imaging where Cinder was in the house.

It sounded like the living room... by the bookshelf...

There were a dozen or so consecutive stomps, as though the witch were going down a staircase. And then all noise vanished for at least a minute.

Blood was pounding in her ears, and Blake wasn't sure if it was her own heartbeat or Weiss'. They shared a frightened look with one another, but neither had answers. Neither knew what to do, or what was happening.

But after another moment passed, they realized they'd soon find out.

The bell rang - but not twice, like it should've.

It rang once.

One single time.

It was the indication that they needed to hide and _quickly_.

They each had a million questions, but no time to ask them.

Entwining her fingers tightly with Weiss', Blake used her free hand to push open the bedroom door and bolt down the hallway. Weiss followed as quickly and quietly as she could, pressing her free hand over her mouth to keep the sounds from slipping free.

Blake had almost forgotten about the hidden room in the basement. They hadn't needed to use it for several years now, as all the searches by the townspeople for two missing girls had gone cold long ago.

But even years of not having to rush there hadn't made them forget how to go about it.

They stuck to the walls as closely as possible, checking the open hallways for possible danger before running ahead. But Blake saw no intruders, and she didn't sense any, either.

And Cinder wasn't upstairs by the doorway to meet anyone. The witch was down in the secret room.

 _But why? What's going on? What is she doing?_

After a tight squeeze behind the bookshelf, and a silent but frantic rush down the dark staircase below, Weiss and Blake would have their answers.

Blake could hardly remember the last time she'd been down here, many many years ago to hide from the authorities under the witch's command. The sole window at ground-level still provided a faint bit of light from the outside world, but the basement area was much more well-lit than it ever had been before.

Even without the use of her superior vision, Blake could see that a lantern of sorts had been hung up on one of the walls, a flicker of flame providing extra light.

But there was little time to take in the scenery.

Cinder stood in the center of the room, clearly having been awaiting their arrival.

There were... noises coming from the far side of the room, but Blake didn't tear her gaze away from the witch.

She positioned herself in front of Weiss defensively, shielding the girl from view as best she could with her own body.

Both of the witch's hands were hidden within her cloak, but with an incline of her chin, she beckoned the two girls forward.

Blake's ears kept swiveling toward... whatever was one the other side of the room, unable to decipher the sounds. She only advanced over enough of the stone floor to still keep a few feet of distance between Cinder and herself.

But Weiss stepped out from behind her, advancing another step to confront Cinder.

"Mother..." she began, voice unsteady. "Welcome home." She needed to get the greeting out of the way first, as was expected. Then, she paused for a moment, wondering if it was permissible for her to speak while down here.

But Cinder didn't scold her, so Weiss continued in a timid voice.

"Mother... What's happening?"

The witch smirked, her crimson lips curling beneath the firelight.

"Oh, my darling. I'm so glad you've asked."

Blake scrutinized the witch, readying herself to dart forward should Weiss require her assistance.

With a sway of her hips, Cinder threw her cloak aside over her shoulder, revealing her arms.

"I merely wanted to give you your gift," she said.

Blake followed Weiss' gaze and looked down at Cinder's hands.

Lying horizontally across her palms was a long, white sword, very thin in shape, which led Blake to believe it was more akin to a rapier. She'd seen them depicted in a few of the storybooks she and Weiss had read together.

Clearly, Weiss was as baffled and astonished as she was, for the girl didn't move an inch.

"Pardon? A gift... for me, Mother?"

"Why yes, of course," Cinder purred slowly. "I've actually been working on it for _quite_ some time now. It isn't easy to construct something solid out of the minerals I used, you know. At least, not with the limited resources I had at my disposal."

Blake looked closer at the white rapier.

Sure enough, there was a gold lining of sorts around the handle and blade itself. Not unlike Weiss' clothes, this weapon was constructed – or at the very least – infused with Dust.

It was likely what Cinder had been doing behind closed doors for so many years, trial and error and dark research of molding stolen Dust into a solid form of weaponry. Blake had assumed in the past that Cinder must have robbed Dust shops on occasion, or had business partners in the back alleyways of town who were involved with the black market.

Either way, she'd somehow gotten her hands on enough Dust to lace every piece of clothing in Weiss' drawers with it.

And now this.

A full-fledged weapon made specifically for Weiss.

A brief, uneasy silence ensued.

Then, the white-haired girl soon asked Blake's next question aloud.

"But why...?" Weiss murmured. "Forgive me, I don't mean to sound ungrateful, Mother. I'm simply curious."

The witch seemed to be in a good mood, for she didn't take offense.

"My dear," she cooed. "This is what we've been waiting for. For many, _many_ years now. You're old enough now to know..." Her tone was casual, inviting. " _This_ is why you're living here with me. _This_ is why you _exist_."

She stepped forward, offering the rapier to Weiss.

The girl could only extend her arms slowly, as if it were a magnetic reaction. Blake watched stiffly as Cinder transferred the weapon into Weiss' pale hands. There was a faint flare of the golden Dust when it made contact with Weiss' skin, but nothing more.

At the very least, this didn't injure Weiss to wield it.

Even so, Blake didn't like it. Not one bit.

Weiss was still hanging on Cinder's words, her voice low as her fingers curled around the hilt and blade of the rapier.

"This... is the reason I exist?" she repeated.

Cinder stepped forward, heels clicking loudly on stone. She reached out to cup the girl's scarred cheek with cold, slender fingers.

"Why, for all intents and purposes, yes," she hummed. "Let me show you, dear."

She dropped her hand down to Weiss' shoulder and slowly walked her forward toward the other side of the room.

With her presence ignored, Blake opted to follow.

It felt like a small procession of lambs to the slaughter.

She could hear those noises even more clearly now.

Sobs.

Whimpers.

The sounds of fear she'd heard countless times before in the past.

But they didn't come from Weiss this time, nor were they coming from herself.

Cinder abruptly stopped walking, bringing Weiss to a halt as well.

"Here," she said.

Blake now saw what was on the other side of the room.

Her jaw dropped, and she couldn't swallow the gasp of horror.

There, on the cold stone floor, huddled back against the wall, were two girls. One seemed to be about Blake's age, and she adorned long yellow hair. The other was smaller, likely younger, with short brown hair. Their ruffled clothes were common articles, indicating they'd probably come from the local marketplace.

Their hands were bound behind their backs, legs tied to prevent them from kicking, and cloths had been stuffed between their teeth and tied around the backs of their heads to keep them from screaming or seeing.

It was horrifying. Sickening.

Blake felt her heart thundering wildly, head spinning. Suddenly, nothing felt real. But she was unable to tear her gaze away from Cinder's most recent kidnap victims.

 _Again!_ she screamed to herself. _She's done it again! What kind of taboo magics does she use in order to get away with this sort of thing?!_

Blake pulled her gaze away from the terrified girls on the floor, only to glance at Weiss.

She seemed even more petrified than the captives were, her hands gripping the rapier so tightly that the fingers holding the blade's end started to bleed.

Cinder kept an arm around her daughter's shoulders, playing idly with the white ponytail.

"I found these pests trouncing around near the garden," she explained. "Heaven knows why they were so far from home unattended, but they were causing quite a commotion. The little one had plucked a flower without permission. So I decided to teach her a lesson. Her big sister stubbornly tried to fight me, so I decided to punish her as well."

Weiss was breathless, her eyes still trained on the two helpless girls.

"M-Mother..." she croaked. "I don't understand..."

Cinder glided in front of her now, cupping both sides of Weiss' face with her hands, forcing her to look up into burning amber orbs.

"What's not to understand, my child? I _did_ say this was the reason you exist in the first place, did I not? _This_ is why you are here."

Weiss shook her head as best she could with Cinder's nails digging into her cheeks.

" _What_ is... Mother?"

Cinder smiled again, letting her hands fall away from the girl's face. Instead, she pulled Weiss into an embrace.

Blake watched, her stomach knotted with horror, disgust, and trepidation as Cinder gave a playful hum:

"Why, my dear," she whispered. "You're going to kill them."

* * *

 **A/N: While you wait for the next update, please let me know what you think.**

 **Ch7 preview: _Her legs started to shake, and they soon caved, knees buckling as she fell to them, cold stone scraping against her pants and causing her skin to sting._**

 ** _"I-I... I could've..." She whimpered, and tears dragged down her face, heavy with remorse. "I could've... gone home..."_**

 **If you like my work, please support me on as Kiria Alice.**

 **Please review!**


	8. Chapter 7 - Red On White

**This chapter switches a bit between Weiss' and Blake's POVs.**

 **WARNINGS for mental/physical/psychological abuse.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 7. Red On White

Weiss didn't move.

She couldn't.

Cinder's breath was searing against her cheek, almost to the point of sparking a flame, her long red nails carving into Weiss' back.

Weiss silently begged for breath that wouldn't come, air catching in her windpipe for a long moment before Cinder finally released her.

Weiss could feel her teeth starting to chatter in the cold, dank air, so she bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. Her gaze flashed to Blake's, but the Faunus girl appeared to be just as horrified as Weiss felt.

And yet, something told her Blake wasn't all that surprised by any of this, as though she'd known something about Cinder all along that Weiss had never suspected.

The two girls crumpled before her – sisters – were bound, traumatized, and helpless.

And Weiss...

Weiss needed to...

"Kill them...?" she whispered.

Cinder nodded, her gaze unwavering and undeterred.

"That's right, dear. This is what you're going to be doing from now on. Whenever Mother encounters someone who gives her trouble, or someone she doesn't like, you're going to be the one to dispose of them for me," she declared.

"You see, I'd do it myself, but the most I can do is bring them misfortune. I need them _dead_ , not unlucky." She flashed her gaze downward. "These two will only be practice. Show me you can kill them, and I'll give you a nice reward, darling. And from then on, I'll start bringing you the people I need eradicated from this planet."

Her eyes returned to the girl's blue ones. Cinder's own were burning, and yet somehow cold. Horribly cold.

"This is why you are here, child. Use the blade I forged for you and kill them."

Weiss was trembling, but she didn't think she could move. All she could do was make sure she didn't lose grip on the rapier Cinder had worked so hard to construct for her.

And she couldn't tear her eyes away from her mother.

Cinder turned to face Blake then, the first time she'd acknowledged her since they'd all come down to the basement.

"And you, Faunus," she snapped. "Your job is to dispose of the bodies."

Blake bit back a snarl as the witch approached her, but she didn't dare take a retreating step back, lest she lose her head for it. She stayed put as Cinder drew closer. Then, the witch husked in a lowered tone that only Blake could hear.

"I trust that by now you've... _discovered_ a few things, no? Like how my daughter cannot leave this mansion. It's a curse I concocted myself and I'm quite proud of it," she whispered. "But because of that, she can't exactly leave this place to get rid of the bodies. I'd do it myself, but I've got other things to attend to... But you've probably discovered that _you_ are free to come and go as you please."

Here, she paused to indulge herself in a wicked cackle, one that had Blake's blood boiling.

"Quite humorous," the witch purred. "You could've left _any_ time all those years ago, but never did for fear I'd kill Mommy and Daddy. Well, believe it or not, what I just revealed to you is true. I can't kill anyone. I can only curse them. Which is why I need _her_ to kill for me. And disposing of the bodies is your job. You may leave the premises whenever you wish, dear Faunus..."

Everything that was being revealed to Blake in that moment made her seethe with fury to the point where she wanted to scream.

But there was also the desire to collapse to her knees and wail at the top of her lungs.

She found she couldn't decide on which one to do.

Cinder continued, her lips so close to Blake's human ear that she could smell the witch's sharp breath.

"You should know by now that you can leave this mansion. But you'll come back once you've gotten rid of these bodies. And you won't bring any trouble or pesky people to bother me when you do. Or else I can't guarantee her safety. You'll come back _alone_ and before nightfall. I know you will. Because you wouldn't ever _dream_ of leaving her here all alone, would you?"

She turned her face, eyes locking onto the girl in the blue dress behind her.

Blake couldn't speak, couldn't move.

Blake couldn't do anything.

All along.

All this time, she'd been caught directly in Cinder's trap.

Even when Blake had thought she was figuring things out, even those times had all been in accordance to the witch's plan. Whatever Blake had discovered had all been under Cinder's control; it had all been information Cinder had _allowed_ her to discover.

Blake felt like a cat trying to flee from a wolf who's claws were embedded into her tail. Every time she tried to pull free, she was only dragged closer toward snapping jaws.

There was no escape from this.

As a hornet's nest of thoughts assaulted her brain, Blake was only partially paying attention as Cinder stepped away and raised her voice for Weiss to hear as well.

"I'm giving you one hour," the witch announced. "There's a bit of leeway for your first job. I know it's a bit messy the first time, but you'll get used to it with practice. And in the future, I'll expect these jobs to be completed in much less time. But for today, you've got one hour. Kill them, and clean it up so no one knows it ever happened."

Cinder strutted back across the stone floor, the heels of her shoes clicking methodically as she prowled around her stolen daughter. She found that blue gaze once more, grabbing the girl's chin and forcing her to look upward again.

"You understand, don't you dear? This is why I have you. This is why I've _kept_ you. This is why I made you new clothes, fed you every day, gave you a bed to sleep in, gave you a pet of your own. _This_ is your purpose," she stated.

"Now please, don't make Mother angry. This is a very simple task, dear, and I'm giving you more than enough time to complete it. If you fail... Mother will be _very_ upset. Understand?"

Weiss couldn't do anything more than nod her head.

This was an order from Cinder. She didn't know how to react in any way other than affirmation.

The woman smiled.

"Good girl. I'll leave you to it, then."

With that, she whipped around and headed for the staircase, her long, crimson cloak trailing behind her, catching the firelight. One last warning reminder echoed out behind her.

"One hour."

And then the door slammed, and all fell silent.

No one moved.

The only motion came from the dancing flames that flickered in the darkness, illuminating the basement in a pale, orange hue.

Weiss hadn't budged a muscle, or even blinked, the rapier still resting horizontally across her palms where Cinder had left it, eyes wide and mouth agape.

And Blake couldn't move either.

She was still in shock about what Cinder had revealed to her.

"All this time..." she hissed.

All this time – from the very start since she'd been kidnapped – it had all been lies.

Cinder wasn't capable of killing people. For one reason or another, that much was true.

Otherwise – as she'd said – she would have done it herself.

But she'd told Blake that she could only curse people, not kill them.

Which meant she never could have killed Blake's parents when she was abducted as a child.

That threat, those heartless words she'd spoken to Blake: _"Behave and come with me, or else I'll kill Mommy and Daddy..."_

That had just been a lie.

 _That_ threat had been what had kept Blake in line in her first several years trapped here. She'd behaved as best she could, done her best not to disobey simply so Cinder wouldn't go out and kill her parents.

But now... to know that threat had been entirely empty... just false pretenses...

It meant Blake could have escaped the very first night she'd arrived here.

She hadn't known it at the time, but knowing it now...

It was infuriating.

So many years separated from her family, and they all likely thought she was dead.

So much time gone.

Her entire childhood – _wasted_.

And she could never get it back.

Her legs started to shake, and they soon caved, knees buckling as she fell to them, cold stone scraping against her pants and causing her skin to sting.

"I-I... I could've..." She whimpered, and tears dragged down her face, heavy with remorse. "I could've... gone home..."

And even now, she _still_ could. She could leave this mansion right this very second, run and run and never look back. She could find her parents and be together with them once again.

She could go to them _right now_.

But Cinder was right in knowing Blake wouldn't do that.

Not now.

Because Blake loved Weiss.

She wouldn't leave her.

And Cinder had known everything all along.

This was why she'd encouraged their closeness, let them sleep together in the same bed every night, never disrupted them when they'd read together.

This was why she'd let them fall in love, and why she hadn't discouraged it.

She'd _wanted_ this.

Everything had gone perfectly according to her plans.

And now that Blake had the knowledge that her parents couldn't be killed, she could leave.

But she wouldn't.

 _Because she loved Weiss._

Because she'd made a promise to get her out of here alive.

And so – even in her freedom – Blake was utterly, endlessly trapped.

Chains may not have constricted her ankles and wrists, but instead, emotions constricted her heart.

She hunched forward, burying her face in her knees as she wept soundlessly.

Even loving Weiss had been part of the witch's tricks.

Blake had to wonder if she actually loved Weiss of her own volition, or if it was just an intended part of this massive hoax.

 _If I didn't love her... If I'd never loved her... I could've gotten out of here and left it all behind. But now..._

That love was keeping her prisoner.

And to Blake, that proved just _how_ deeply she cared for Weiss.

When given a moment to clear her head, she _didn't_ believe the emotion shared between them was part of Cinder's doing. Perhaps just a convenient side-effect of all this, one Cinder welcomed so the two of them would be all the more inseparable in the future.

Blake's love for Weiss was pure, and not at all imposed by the witch's scheming. She refused to believe otherwise.

 _I love her... because I choose to... and I won't leave this place without her... Even if it takes a lifetime... I'll stay by her side, no matter the cost..._

Even if that cost was her own freedom.

Blake sobbed silently for an amount of time she didn't keep track of.

During that period of time, Weiss hadn't moved, still frozen with the rapier in her hands, the two sisters huddled fearfully and blindly before her.

Blake wept until she had nothing left behind her eyes, and once she was able to raise her head once again, she was in time to witness Weiss turning to look at her.

"Blake..."

Her voice was thin and almost inaudible - ridden with indecisive torment - but Blake heard it nonetheless.

"Weiss..."

The Faunus girl pushed herself up, wiping the sleeve of her shirt over her eyes as she staggered to her feet. She was reminded that they were on a time limit here, a time limit to...

"Kill them..." Weiss rasped. "I've got to... _kill them._.."

She spoke as though she couldn't fathom the words, nor comprehend the meaning behind them. She couldn't even bring herself to look at the two captive girls. Her blue eyes were dull, made emotionless in wake of this task now after so many years of psychological abuse and confusion.

"Why..." she gasped. "W-Why must I... b-because Mother ordered it..." Weiss gripped the rapier's hilt, letting the blade fall from her other palm and scrap against the floor, though her eyes were now trained on Blake.

"I've got to kill them... because Mother demanded it. Sh-She'll be angry if I don't. She'll punish me. I don't want to be punished... It hurts..." Her weapon was pointed at the girls now, but her eyes were still on Blake's, begging for answers.

Blake could see it in her gaze – Weiss knew this wasn't right, but that was _all_ she knew.

It always had been.

Obey Cinder.

That had always been her key to survival.

Fail to do so, and Weiss' body would react violently.

Blake had once thought that making Cinder angry enough in any particular instance might result in Weiss' panic seizing her so relentlessly that it would kill her.

This could very well be that instance.

If they failed, Cinder would be furious, and even though Blake now knew the witch couldn't murder Weiss herself, she'd trained the girl's body to kill its host on its own accord.

All those years of abuse had built up until now. If Weiss didn't fulfill her objective here within the hour, she wouldn't come out of this basement alive.

Blake was aware of that fact, and something told her Weiss was, too.

The white-haired girl was shaking terribly, her voice still tumbling past thin lips.

"I-I've got to do it..." she mumbled. "I don't... want to kill them, but... I don't want to die..." Tears started to drip down her cheeks, until rivulets were formed, but still, her eyes were glued to gold. "Blake... I don't know what to do..."

Weiss was being torn apart, and Blake could see it in her eyes, hear it in her voice.

This wasn't who she was. Weiss wasn't a murderer.

But she was terrified of what would happen if she didn't complete this task.

Blake swallowed hard and tried to think for a moment, recognizing time wasn't exactly on their side. She heard the click of a shoe, lifting her eyelids once more to find Weiss had advanced a shaking step toward the captive sisters.

She was trembling violently, the rapier aimed at her victims, but that too was spasming due to how badly Weiss herself was. Her voice spilled out lifelessly.

"I... I h-have to..."

But before she could advance so much as another step, Blake rushed forward. Arms outstretched, she wrapped them them around Weiss' stomach, her chest pressing to the girl's back as Blake held her in place, preventing her from moving.

"No..." she mumbled into her ear. "No, Weiss. You don't have to do this. We can work our way around this. Somehow..."

Like this, she could feel for herself just how badly Weiss was shivering. Her heart was pounding and her breathing was clipped, her body already reacting as though Cinder were furious with her.

Slowly, Blake slipped her left arm along Weiss'. With a gentle squeeze to the other girl's wrist, Blake helped her lower the rapier, pointing the tip away from the terrified girls and down to the ground instead.

Weiss shuddered and choked on a sob, tilting her head back in an effort to meet her gaze.

"How...?" she rasped. "How can we...?"

Blake squeezed her again to let Weiss know she would explain.

As calmly as possible, she coaxed Weiss a step back and started to explain her plan.

"You know you can't leave this place," she began. "Cinder said it herself, and you experienced it time and again at the window. _You_ might not be able to leave, but _I_ can."

Here, she paused and lifted her face to the sisters, flicking her ears toward them.

"And so can they."

Weiss sniffed and wiped her dress' sleeve across her eyes, but she seemed to be understanding Blake's idea.

"Y-You mean... we let them go?"

Blake nodded.

"Exactly."

Weiss let out an audible gasp.

"B-But that wasn't Mother's order! She ordered that I-"

"I know," Blake soothed. "I know. But just listen. If we can get them out and get them to keep quiet about all of this, no one will ever know. Not even Cinder. She'll be under the impression that you killed them and I removed the bodies, and she'll be none the wiser. It's the only way everyone can get out of this alive, Weiss."

She spoke in earnest, hoping it would be enough to convince Weiss to go through with this.

The girl was silent for a long moment, clearly shaken at the thought of blatantly disobeying Cinder's orders. Blake continued speaking by means of persuasion.

"Weiss... she'll never know you didn't kill them. If she asks where I hid the bodies, I'll tell her they're scattered in too many places no one - not even Cinder - will ever find." She angled her face a bit until she caught Weiss' eyes. "Weiss... you can't kill them. _Please_. I don't think your heart will be able to handle it."

Another moment passed, and all was silent, save for the whimpers of the girls and the hollow rush of stagnant, cold air. It howled softly, like the echoes of tormented souls crying out from the grave.

Weiss shuddered again.

Then, she took a step forward – not toward the sisters – but toward Blake.

She dipped her head, resting her forehead against the Faunus girl's shoulder.

"I don't... want to kill them..." she repeated. "I'm scared of what Mother will do if I don't, but I don't _w-want_ to kill them... I _can't._.."

Blake was relieved to hear the response. If Weiss had decided she wanted to slaughter these innocent girls, they would've only been her first victims of many to come.

Blake wasn't sure what she might've done if Weiss had decided to become the witch's designated murderer.

But she knew better than anyone what kind of a person Weiss was – kind, caring, helpful. Her hands weren't meant for killing, nor was her heart.

Blake felt herself smiling, her faith in Weiss surging forward into a physical manifestation as she pulled the girl firmly into her arms.

"Thank you," she murmured. "I'll make sure Cinder never finds out. I _swear_ it, Weiss."

But that certainly wasn't going to be easy.

She released Weiss, then brushed past her, making her way toward the bound sisters.

At some point, they'd wriggled out of their blindfolds, only to behold the horrifying basement they were now trapped in. The youngest one was tucked as tightly into her sister's side as her bindings would allow, tears continuously streaming down her face. The eldest did her best to shield the other with her own body, her lavender eyes fierce despite the intense fright she must've been suffering from, considering the traumatizing ordeal.

As Blake neared, she saw the girls stiffen, pressing themselves further back against the hard wall. The eldest growled against the bit in her mouth, warning her to keep away.

Blake held both of her hands up as she knelt down, indicating she meant them no harm. Quite the opposite.

"Hey..." she began awkwardly. "I'm... I'm sorry this happened to you two. This wouldn't be the first time she's kidnapped children."

Blake met the oldest girl's eyes, leading her gaze first to Weiss and then back to Blake herself. The blonde girl snorted, but seemed to understand. Blake continued.

"You heard everything, right? We're not going to kill you if we can help it. But you've _got_ to keep quiet. About _all_ of this. You can't tell a soul. I mean it. The second that wit- …the second _she_ catches wind of anyone coming near this place, she'll punish me and Weiss both. There's not a doubt in my mind. Your lives depend on us right now... but in the future, our lives will be depending on you."

The younger girl was still cowering in fear, but it seemed the older one was listening. Blake held her gaze, worried they might be ratted out anyway.

But after a moment of boring her irises into the captive's, the blonde girl gave a single nod.

Blake's ears perked up hopefully. She moved a bit closer, reaching for the girl's mouth.

"May I?" she checked.

The girl blinked in consent.

Blake quickly untied the cloth from her mouth.

"Please keep quiet," she urged her. "If she hears a ruckus down here, she'll find us out."

Weiss had left the rapier behind her on the ground and knelt down beside Blake. Together, they untied the petrified girls, freeing them of the ropes on their wrists and ankles.

The second they were free, the sisters scrambled into each other's arms.

"I'm sorry!" the youngest cried. "Y-Yang, I didn't mean to go into the garden! I-I just wanted a flower-"

"Shh..." the blonde – Yang – soothed. "It's okay, Ruby. It's not your fault."

Blake and Weiss kept their distance, wanting to earn the others' trust.

But Blake wasn't sure how much time they had left, so she could only spare so many seconds before addressing them again.

"I'm sorry," she repeated. "This never should have happened. To any of us. But we're going to get you both out of here."

The younger girl by the name of Ruby sniffled and clung to her sister.

"W-We gotta tell the police what happened-"

"No!" Blake hissed. The smaller girl whimpered and recoiled. Blake instantly softened her voice in apology. "I'm sorry. But you _can't_ tell anyone. Or else she'll _torture_ us. She can't kill us, so torture is the likeliest of outcomes." She held out her hand toward Weiss, drawing the girl closer to her as they shifted to where the other pair knelt on the floor. "It's going to be difficult, but you can't tell anyone about this place. Not your parents or the police. No one can know that we live here, or else she... she won't be kind to us..."

"So what the hell are we supposed to do?" Yang growled. "Just go back home and pretend this never happened?"

"Yes," Blake said. "I know it's easier said than done. This will be a frightening day you two will never forget. But at least you'll get out unharmed. At least you'll get out _at all_. You guys get to go home and see your family again. You just can't tell anyone."

The sisters huddled closer for a moment. Yang wiped Ruby's tears, cradling her close to her chest protectively.

"That's the deal, sis," she murmured. "Do you think you can do that, Ruby? Can you keep this a secret? It'll be just between us. If you ever get scared and need to talk about it, you can talk to me, but no one else. Okay? Think you can do that?"

Ruby looked up at her sister with wide, silver eyes. She flashed her scared gaze around to Weiss, then Blake, and then back to her sister before replying.

"I-I mean... I guess if I can at least talk to you, Yang... then I can keep it a secret."

Blake sighed in relief, loosening the tight grip she'd had on Weiss' hand all this time.

Their survival now depended on these two girls.

Of course, a simple slip of the tongue could be hers and Weiss' downfall, though. So Blake met the older girl's eyes once more.

"It would be best to just try and forget this ever happened. Just... forget everything."

Yang scoured her for moment, then turned her eyes to Weiss.

"And what about you guys?" she mumbled. "Did she kidnap you, too? How long have you been here?"

Blake sighed and shook her head.

"Too long," she mumbled. "Long enough to forget what sunlight feels like..."

Yang shuddered, her tone imploring.

"Then escape with us. Right now. All four of us."

Blake sighed again.

"We can't. Well..."

Her eyes went to Weiss once more, and the white-haired girl looked away.

"It's my fault," she murmured. "I'm cursed, so I can't leave this place. Blake can, but... she won't. Not without me."

Blake was shocked to hear Weiss saying all of these things, things the Faunus girl had kept to herself all this time.

It seemed this incident of being told to kill innocents had disillusioned Weiss somewhat.

Weiss understood everything now – she understood that she was cursed, chained to this place by none other than her own 'Mother'. She understood that Blake could leave whenever she wanted to, but refused to do so without her.

"It's because of me..." she whispered. "I'm trapping her here."

"Weiss, no-" Blake didn't want to hear any more. She gave a tug to the girl's wrist and pulled her close, wrapping Weiss in her arms. "None of this is your fault. None of it. You didn't choose for any of this to happen. It's not your fault..."

She brushed her cheek against Weiss', then pressed her lips to the girl's temple, trailing kisses over her hairline.

This very well may have been the biggest victory from all of this.

Weiss knew now.

She knew Cinder wasn't the mother she'd always claimed to be. She was merely a captor who was using Weiss to do her bidding.

But still, none of this changed the fact that Weiss' body was designed to react violently if she were to disobey the witch.

Which was why they needed to get these two girls out of here.

Now.

Blake ran her hands up and down Weiss' back a few more times, stroking through her ponytail.

"I love you, Weiss. That won't ever change. I'll keep true to my promise to get you out of here. I don't care how many years it takes. We'll find a way to break this curse and get you out." She pulled away, lifting her fingers to catch a few of the girl's tears. "But for now, we've got to do this, and fast."

Blake stood, helping Weiss to her feet beside her.

Together, the two of them helped the sisters stand on trembling legs. Ruby stood before Weiss as the latter of the two wiped the former's tears a bit and spoke softly to her.

During that quiet moment, Blake pulled Yang a few steps away.

"Listen," she murmured. "I really, _really_ need your word on this. You guys can't tell _anyone_ about _any_ of this. Ever."

"Hey," Yang said, attempting a small grin. "Don't sweat it." She looked back over her shoulder to Weiss. "You really love her, don't you?"

Blake nodded without missing a beat.

"She's been here a lot longer than I have. She's been through so much. She could very well lose her life if she doesn't go through with an order. And yet, she's still too pure to so much as harm an insect. The only good that ever came out of being brought here was meeting her and seeing how beautiful she is, inside and out."

Blake's eyes went stern as she bore them into lavender.

"I've _got_ to keep her safe until we can break the curse on her. I can't risk her life for _anything_."

Yang nodded in comprehension, her eyes clear and focused now.

"I get it. Ruby and I won't tell a soul about any of this." She paused for a moment, looking Blake up and down. "I think I remember your story. It was all over town... must've been more than five years ago. Everyone thinks you're dead. And I guess the same's true for your friend..."

Blake swallowed as she remembered the day of her own kidnapping.

"It's got to stay that way," she declared. "No one can know we're still alive. Not until we've broken the curse."

Another beat of silence passed between the two girls.

Then, Yang reached out her hand.

"You have my word," she said.

Slowly, Blake lifted her hand and took Yang's, fingers squeezing tightly.

"Thank you. It's nice to know we'll have friends on the outside from now on. And it's a bit of a relief that someone knows we're not dead. But it's got to be our secret."

"Cross my heart," Yang vowed.

Blake gave a nod, then released the girl's hand.

"Now let's get you guys out of here."

Blake ushered Ruby and Weiss over to the single window in the basement. Even now that Blake had grown since she'd last been down here, the window was still a bit high up. She offered a suggestion.

"Ruby. Can you get on your sister's shoulders?"

They kept as quiet as possible. Yang squatted down and Weiss steadied Ruby as she climbed onto the blonde's shoulders.

Once she'd straightened up, Blake instructed Ruby how to unhinge the window's lock. The girl's hands were still shaking, but it didn't take her very long to remove the lock.

With a push, Ruby opened the window, letting in a rush of warm air.

"Go!" Yang hissed.

"Hold on!" Blake paused them just for a moment. She rushed back across the floor, gathering the bits of cloth and pieces of rope that had been used to bind the girls earlier. She hurried back to Ruby and handed them up to her. "Take these with you guys and just bury them in the trash somewhere. We can't have any inconsistencies with this. As far as _she_ knows, these ropes were still on your bodies when Weiss killed you, and they'll still be on your bodies even after I've left the mansion to dispose of the corpses."

Ruby grimaced at the thought of herself being a corpse, but she stuffed the ropes into her pocket nonetheless.

Then, Yang boosted her up, waiting until she grabbed the window. The brunette scrambled to haul herself out, crawling through the window and ending up on the streets of the alleyway outside. She turned around to reach her arms down, and Yang grabbed on.

With Blake and Weiss supporting her back and legs and Ruby pulling her arms, they managed to hoist Yang up until she could breathlessly drag herself out the window.

The two sisters were incredulous that they'd escaped this place alive. They turned back to peer down into the darkness at the other two.

"Come with us!" Ruby begged.

"We can't," Blake said. "We promise if we ever get out one day that we'll come find you two. But for now, just run. Get out of here and try to not to come outside for a little while. If _she_ sees you guys and knows you're still alive... It won't be good for us. Maybe she can't kill us, but she can do a lot worse."

Yang nodded, gently pulling her little sister away from the window.

"Take care, you guys," she called down softly. "I really... _really_ hope you can get out of there one day."

Blake blinked up at her with an unreadable expression.

"Me, too," she said solemnly. "Now go."

With a nod, Yang reached under the window sill and closed it as best she could. Then she grabbed Ruby's hand and pulled her into a tight hug.

And at last, the two sisters took off running and disappeared.

Blake stood there in the cold basement below them, the last traces of warm air from outside already beginning to dissipate.

She was still in disbelief that they'd actually gotten the two girls out alive.

Her plan had succeeded.

And what's more, Weiss was now aware of almost everything regarding Cinder's true nature.

But Blake imagined the girl must have been in great pain now, to realize the seemingly-loving mother she'd known for as long as she was allowed to remember had merely kept Weiss around for the purpose of having her slaughter innocent people.

Blake realized Weiss wasn't standing beside her anymore, so she drew her fixated gaze away from the window to cast it around the enclosed basement. She spotted the white-haired girl standing in the corner where Ruby and Yang had been earlier.

Blake scoured the floor to ensure there were no more remnants or pieces of rope left behind. Satisfied that there weren't, she made her way towards Weiss.

Weiss seemed almost despondent, and Blake felt compelled to speak.

"Weiss..." she said. "Cinder won't find out."

The girl made her way over to the discarded rapier and picked it up.

"She will..." Weiss said hollowly. "I've got to-"

"Weiss!" Blake raised her voice a bit and hurried over to her side. "What are you saying?"

Weiss flashed a glance up at her.

"Mother ordered me to kill them with this blade. But it's clean. If we're going to make this believable... I've got to dirty it."

And before Blake even had the chance to comprehend the meaning behind her words, Weiss acted.

She turned the blade on herself and plunged it into her own stomach, piercing through the dress and skin to draw forth a stream of liquid scarlet.

Blake failed to suppress a short scream as she dove forward, grabbing Weiss' hands and pulling them away. The rapier clattered to the stone floor, spattered with blood.

Weiss dropped to her knees, biting back screams of agony as she continued to let herself bleed, letting dark red colors paint the floor to create a makeshift scene of murder.

Frantically, Blake pressed both of her hands over the puncture wound Weiss had made on herself. It was a small incision above her navel, but undeniably deep. She could feel the warm blood pulsing as it flowed freely, and her own stomach twisted with nausea.

"Weiss-!" she hissed, tears jumping into her eyes. "Wh-Why-"

"It... It's got to look as tough I killed two people..." she gasped.

"This is enough!" Blake snapped. "I'm healing you!"

Without giving Weiss so much as a second to retaliate, Blake activated her aura and emitted a strong, steady flow onto Weiss' stomach.

It was a luxury she hadn't had in the past. Only in recent years once they'd matured had she and Weiss been able to unlock their auras. But they didn't use the abilities often, only in dire emergencies.

So Blake certainly wasn't holding back now.

Within minutes, the skin all around the deep wound gradually started to stitch itself back together.

There was already a large puddle of blood on the floor, enough to convince anyone that a murder had taken place here. Blake's hands and clothes were stained with it as much as Weiss' were, making the pair look as though they'd been dealing with bleeding bodies.

Blake was a bit worried that Cinder might see the tear in Weiss' dress and grow suspicious, but it was a small hole, and it was now drenched and covered with blood. It would merely look like splatter from the supposed slaying that had taken place by Weiss' own hand.

Blake continued sharing her aura even after the wound had sealed up completely, just to be safe.

Weiss panted as she got her breath back, but before she could speak, Blake had pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Don't _ever_ do that!" she growled. "Weiss, don't _ever_ do something like that again!" Blake's fingers balled into fists in Weiss' hair and the back of her dress. Her arms refused to let go, her passion fervent.

Weiss released a shuddering sigh.

"I'm sorry, Blake," she murmured. "But I knew if I'd suggested my plan out loud, you wouldn't have let me do it. I'm sorry. I just needed to make it look like-"

"I know..." Blake whispered into her shoulder. "I know. But just... please don't do that again, Weiss. _Please_..."

"I'm sorry..."

Weiss returned her embrace, running soothing hands over Blake's ruffled hair and ears, then all down her back. She kissed her cheeks in turn, then her lips.

Minutes passed, the blood on the floor settling and starting to dry a bit. Likewise, the tear trails on their faces began to fade away.

For a time, they both just took everything in.

They reflected on all they'd discovered today.

Blake lamented her own naivety for believing Cinder's threats so many years ago.

And Weiss lamented every second she'd spent in this mansion believing Cinder truly loved her.

But neither girl lamented the other.

They'd spared two innocent lives today, perhaps. But for how many more instances would they be able to keep this up?

Cinder had made it clear that she would be bringing victims regularly into the house for Weiss to kill and Blake to dispose of afterward.

They couldn't keep this up forever.

They couldn't keep letting people escape.

Sooner or later, they'd have to start killing for real, or else Cinder would find them out.

They were lost on where to go from here.

Their only hope was to somehow break the curse on Weiss and flee as quickly and as far as they could.

Blake got the idea in her head that perhaps Weiss being aware of Cinder's ill intentions now might have been the key. Coupled with the knowledge that Blake loved her more than Cinder ever could... perhaps it might've been enough.

Presently, Blake pulled away from her embrace, kissing Weiss' lips briefly before reaching up a hand. Slowly, she pulled the collar of Weiss' dress down to reveal her collarbone, just enough to see if the mark was still there.

To her dismay, it was, still as cruel and taunting as ever. The scar over her eye remained as well.

Blake bit her lip, placing her palm over Weiss' chest so she didn't have to look at that awful mark. She kissed the girl's left eyelid, feeling the pulse beneath her hand quicken ever so slightly.

"I'll get you out of here," she murmured. "One day, we'll break this damn curse and I'll get you out."

But that day wouldn't be today.

Movement from upstairs alerted Blake's senses, and her ears stood tall. Without another word, she pulled away from Weiss, leaving just one last kiss on her lips before helping the girl stand.

Weiss picked up the bloodied rapier and positioned herself at the center of the puddle of red. Blake stood nearby, beneath the window, leaving it slightly ajar on purpose.

The hidden door creaked open from above, and then familiar footsteps sounded as they descended the stairs.

Cinder came to a halt at the bottom of the staircase, her dark figure outlined only by the faint orange firelight. Her amber eyes surveyed the room, noting the number of occupants had been halved since she'd last been down here an hour ago.

With a slow stride, the witch ventured out across the floor.

"My, my..." she hummed. "What a pleasant smell that is."

She stalked over to Weiss first and inspected her. The white-haired girl held her ground, blue eyes piercing and lips pursed. Cinder's gaze traveled all along her body, then down to the rapier.

"My dear. You were quite sloppy it seems..." She circled Weiss slowly, like a vulture, reaching up with one hand to cup her cheek. "Mother will have to make you a new dress. In the future, do try to be a bit cleaner with this sort of thing, alright?"

By some miracle, Weiss kept her voice level.

"Yes, Mother."

With a nod, Cinder made her way over to Blake.

The Faunus girl stood with her posture erect as their gazes met. Blake didn't speak, but rather she waited for Cinder to address her.

The witch glanced down at the floor where a thin trail of blood had dripped, and she looked over the stains on Blake's person as well. With a smile, Cinder stepped closer to her.

"What of the bodies?" she wondered.

Blake didn't miss a beat.

"I dismembered them," she reported. "I used the rapier to do so. That's how I managed to get them out the window so easily and nothing was too heavy. I distributed the pieces around town, mostly in the dumpsters, a few in the forests and river."

Cinder was silent for a moment. The smile faded from her lips, but only for a split second.

"Savage. I'd expect nothing less from an animal. But a good decision."

Blake was perplexed when she was praised, but did her best not to show it.

Cinder turned away and headed back to Weiss.

"So you've completed your first task, haven't you, my child?"

Blake watched from a few feet away as Weiss nodded.

"Yes, Mother."

"Good girl. _Very_ good. But again, in the future, refrain from being so messy."

"Yes, Mother."

The witch nodded again, then continued.

"Now, I trust all of this is genuine?"

Blake felt her heart start to pound harder, and she tensed. Weiss was struggling to remain calm as well.

"Pardon?" she asked.

Cinder whipped around to face her.

"I mean to say... you aren't lying to me now, are you, child?"

Weiss hesitated, perhaps a second too long.

"No, Mother. I've killed them both and I-"

"Good," the woman snapped. "I'd just wanted to be sure. Because..." She took a step closer, forcing Weiss back a step. "It would be a _shame_ if you were lying to me, darling. I'd have to punish you severely."

Again, she advanced, and Weiss needed to retreat.

But soon, the room ran out of space, and she found her back pressed against the stone wall. The rapier slipped from her grasp, and she couldn't stop a small gasp from escaping her lips.

Blake stood rooted to the spot as the scene before her became all too familiar. It was the same as that night in the kitchen so many years ago...

"If-" Cinder repeated, sliding one hand up to the girl's shoulder. "You are lying to me, I would have to punish you in such a way that would _ensure_ you would _never_ think to do such a thing ever again, my dear." Her occupied hand dug its nails into Weiss' shoulder, and the other trailed up her bloody dress. "Something like _this_ -"

There was a flash of gold in Blake's vision as she watched a sickeningly familiar steam rise up. Cinder's nails flashed with Dust, the rapier and seams of Weiss' clothing flaring as well as they resonated with the element.

With her index finger ablaze with burning gold, Cinder yanked at the girl's dress and scraped her nail over one line of the X-shaped scar, re-marking her.

With a shrill scream, Weiss slumped back against the wall, a feverish, suffocating heat instantly engulfing her entire body.

Blake couldn't help but scream as well.

" _No_ -!"

But Weiss' next cry of pain drowned her out entirely.

"M- _Mother!_ " she pleaded.

But Cinder didn't relent.

Without mercy, she continued to drag her nail over the mark, retracing the red lines, cutting deeper into her skin.

Weiss yelped, gasping and fighting for breath she couldn't draw.

Cinder's lips remained in a smile.

She went slowly, enjoying the girl's pain. She pushed a little harder, dug a little deeper.

Weiss sobbed in sheer agony. Blake hated that she herself could only cover her ears, close her eyes, and wait for it all to be over.

It felt like an hour before Cinder finally removed her nail and released Weiss. The girl fell to the ground instantly, sobbing brokenly as panicked hyperventilation seized her.

Blake couldn't stay still any longer. She didn't care what would happen to her – she just needed to go to Weiss.

She rushed forward, collapsing beside her and throwing her arms around the girl, sobbing bitterly into her hair.

But Cinder seemed satisfied at long last. She turned away and walked back across the stone floor, stepping with her red shoes into the pools of blood.

"Of course, I believe you, though," she said. "I was merely demonstrating what would happen if I didn't."

Blake shot a furious glare up at her, rage like she'd never felt before in all her time here.

Again, Cinder had done this to Weiss simply because she'd wanted to, simply because she _could_.

Again, Blake had failed to protect her.

Cinder laughed harshly.

"Now, now, pet. Watch those eyes of yours. They're getting awfully nasty-looking." The witch began walking back toward the pair again, still smiling. "I hope you haven't forgotten. I _did_ say you'd be rewarded for completing this task, didn't I?" She paused just a few feet away from the girls. "Look at me dear, so I know you've heard me."

Blake nudged Weiss with her elbow, coaxing her to lift her head. Weiss was still struggling to breathe, but she blinked past the tears and looked up at the woman.

Cinder hummed in satisfaction.

"One year," she said. "For one year, you are free to do as you please. Naturally, that still means you're to stay inside this mansion. You won't be able to leave. Of course..." Her eyes went to Blake's. "Your pet may leave whenever she pleases, though we all know she won't.

"But what I mean, dear, is that I will not bring you any more victims for one whole year. Consider this an... intermission of sorts. A waiting period, perhaps. And I will not do what I just did any more for the next twelve months. No more pain. No more killing. Not for one entire year.

"Of course, after that, I'll have a long list of tasks for you to get started on. But until then, you've got one year to enjoy yourself within this mansion however you please. Isn't that kind of me?"

Cinder turned away, and headed back toward the staircase.

"Consider this your reward for being such a good child all these years, and for always doing exactly as I command. So use this year wisely. Enjoy the peace and quiet while you can. Because once your time is up, you'll have a lot on your hands all at once."

And then, the witch was gone, with naught but a creaking door in her wake.

There was so much to take in.

But Blake couldn't even appreciate the alleged "freedom" that one year would entail right now.

Weiss was still burning up and struggling to breathe.

The Faunus girl held her tightly, then kissed her multiple times in a familiar pattern, pushing much-needed oxygen into Weiss' lungs. She held a hand over the girl's frantic heart, as though to keep it from bursting out of her ribcage, which seemed all too possible at this point. Blake emitted a bit of her aura in hopes to cool Weiss down and steady her heart.

The second Weiss could find her voice again, it was a single, tormented word:

" _Why...?_ "

Blake understood what she'd been trying to ask: _Why did Mother do this to me again? Even though she believes I completed her task?_

Blake shook her head, drawing the blood-soaked girl nearer still.

"Because she wanted to," she murmured. "Because she likes seeing you in pain."

"N... No..."

But even though Weiss didn't want to believe it, there was far too much evidence showing she could do nothing else.

She curled in on herself and cried, clinging to Blake as the only life she'd ever known came crashing down around her.

The mother she'd thought had once loved her... wasn't her mother at all. And she certainly didn't love Weiss – at least not the desired kind of love.

She'd been cursed. She couldn't leave this mansion even if she tried. She'd been trapped here all her life by a woman who _enjoyed_ her suffering.

And what of the man and girl she often saw in her dreams, fragments of memories that seemed to be not her own?

Weiss realized they _were_ her own. They must have been.

They were her real family.

Even despite her breathlessness, Weiss wailed and screamed, stifling cries into Blake's shirt.

And Blake could only hold her, kiss her, and apologize through it all.

Everything was bombarding Weiss all at once, tearing her apart from the inside out. Not for a single second did the girl's pulse ever calm down, and Blake truly feared it would kill her this time.

All she could do was kiss her and pray.

She combed through Weiss' bangs, kissing her hair, her cheeks, and then over her chest.

"I'm here," she reminded her. "I'm right here, Weiss. I'm with you. _I love you..._ "

And even in spite of all the horrible things passing through her mind, and all the aching pain assaulting her body, Weiss heard Blake's voice.

When she felt she wanted to die, Blake made her want to hold on.

If not for Blake here with her right now, Weiss would have already taken the rapier to her own throat.

But Blake was here, holding her, kissing her, loving her.

So Weiss did her best to hold on.

She did her best to breathe and nothing more.

And Blake helped her.

"Breathe..." she soothed. "Just breathe... It's okay..."

It was all so familiar...

Blake waited and waited. She waited for Weiss' tears to stop, for her breath to return, and for her heart to slow.

Hours surely had passed and brought them into the night.

Only when Weiss had grown too weak to cry any longer did Blake gather the girl into her arms. She left the bloody rapier behind and gingerly carried Weiss up the stairs.

Blake brought her to the bathroom and filled the tub with lukewarm water. She fetched clean pairs of sleep clothes for the both of them, then returned to help Weiss undress.

She wrapped a towel around the girl's shivering form to keep her a bit warmer, then helped her down into the water.

Blake washed the girl's hair for her, then helped her cleanse the blood off of her skin, particularly her stomach.

Tears dripped down into the bath water all the while.

At last, Blake helped the girl up again, dried her with a fresh towel, then helped her into her underclothes and nightgown.

Weiss stayed with her as Blake drained and refilled the rub, then took a bath of her own, wanting to rid her body of the scent of Weiss' blood.

A while later, both girls were dressed, and they limped to their bedroom without supper.

Blake opened the window to let in the air, and Weiss collapsed onto the bed. Blake closed the door and fixed her bandana around her neck before joining her.

Weiss hadn't said goodnight to Cinder, but she made no move to do so.

For the next year, she was free, after all, which put Blake under the impression that she didn't need to greet Cinder and wish her goodnight anymore.

So the Faunus girl laid down beside her. She rested her head over Weiss' heartbeat to listen for a moment, relieved to find it had started to calm down at long last.

Blake kissed her there, over the mark, as if to cover it and make it vanish. She kissed Weiss' neck and shoulders, peppering her lips over her face and lips. Her hand draped across the girl's stomach and rubbed gently over the wound Weiss had inflicted upon herself.

Weiss didn't sleep for a long while, and so for a long while, Blake merely continued to kiss her.

She purred softly, letting Weiss know she was there and that she was proud of what she had done today. She had risked her own life to save two others, and Blake wanted Weiss to remember her own selflessness.

"I love you," she whispered. "Weiss, I love you so much. Please don't forget that." She shifted, bending down to kiss the nightgown over the girl's stomach, then moved back up to her collar. "I'll get you out of here. I'll get you out."

It wasn't a hollow promise, either.

After all she'd witnessed over the years and learned today, Blake thought she finally had an inkling of how she might be able to break the curse.

It was still very tentative, and she'd need more proof.

But she was going to keep to it.

Again, she kissed Weiss' lips longingly, lovingly.

Weiss hiccuped against her mouth, and Blake pulled away to let her speak.

"I... love you too, Blake. I really do..." she gasped. "You may leave... at anytime... and I th-think it might be better if you just-"

"Don't even think about it," Blake murmured, softly silencing the girl's words with another kiss. "I won't leave without you, Weiss. _I_ _won't_."

Weiss sobbed, blinking her eyes open to glimpse gold for an instant before they closed once more, heavy with tears.

"Then... please... don't leave me..."

Blake smiled, feeling her own tears starting to fall once again.

This was the first time Weiss had asked for her to stay.

After half a decade of being treated as though her own opinions were worthless, Weiss was being selfish now, and that was a big step.

Blake hugged her as tightly as she dared.

"I promise, Weiss. I won't ever leave you..."

Those weren't empty words, either. Nothing she'd ever said to Weiss was.

Weiss fell asleep that night knowing that much, at the very least.

Blake stayed awake a while longer, keeping vigil over the sleeping girl. Whenever a tear slipped down Weiss' cheek, Blake was there to catch it on her finger. She made sure the girl was breathing evenly and that her temperature had returned to normal.

At long, long last, Blake kissed the girl's chest one more time, and laid down beside her. She rested her head on Weiss' collar, one soft ear pressed to her heart to confirm it was still beating.

Blake faded into unconsciousness with that rhythm in her ear.

Tomorrow would mark the first day of their year of 'freedom', and Blake was cautiously eager to see what that entailed.

* * *

 **A/N: You could consider this the beginning of the end. Read on at your own risk.**

 **Ch 8 preview: _"Weiss...? What's the matter?"_**

 ** _Blake had thought things had been going well recently, all things considered. Weiss had seemed happy that morning, and had kissed her several times that day._**

 ** _But now... she seemed almost despondent._**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	9. Chapter 8 - The First Victim

**This chapter picks up directly where the last one left off and goes on into their 'free' year.**

 **WARNINGS for physical/mental/psychological abuse.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 8. The First Victim

It was difficult to try and predict what they should've been expecting from then on.

Blake was highly dubious that Cinder would actually keep to her word.

The Faunus girl woke first the next morning, before the sun had risen, and while Weiss was still asleep. She shook the numbness that had settled from sleep out of her hands, shifting herself to one side of Weiss. After the inane day she'd experienced yesterday, Blake wanted to let her rest for as long as possible.

Blake took the time to appreciate Weiss' presence. With her eyes, she traced the outline of her body, from the curves and slides of her forehead, nose, and chin, to the dip of her neck, then the slight rise of her collar and chest until it leveled off at her stomach.

She considered it a miracle that Weiss was still here, still sleeping peacefully beside her despite all that had transpired.

Blake didn't know what today had in store for them, so she was certain to take her time indulging these last few hours of quiet.

Sliding closer to Weiss, she rested her head on the front of the girl's shoulder, able to detect just the faintest pulse against her neck. Her ears flicked and honed in on the sound, as one hand trailed over the blue nightgown.

Her palm came to rest over the girl's stomach, fingers spreading out over the self-inflicted puncture wound. Blake rubbed slowly, wanting Weiss to wake to a tranquil, un-stressful world for once.

The purr came naturally, a warm rumble working its way up the back of her throat. The vibrations transferred onto Weiss' chest, applying a light but comfortable pressure.

Blake dozed for the next few hours until the sun had risen and cast its light in through the window. The familiar icy blue color of the walls was painted with light, and a few streaks of gold caught in Weiss' loose hair. Blake combed her fingers through it slowly, never stopping the purr all the while.

If Cinder was going to give them one year 'free', Blake was intent to have Weiss enjoy it from start to finish for all it was worth.

And the world Weiss woke to that morning was different from the only one she'd ever known before.

The constant chill that was present in the mansion year-round seemed to be absent. Only Blake's warmth and scent wreathed around her now, a calming purr filling her chest.

When Blake felt her stir and release a small sound, she lifted her head to give Weiss some space. The girl stretched her arms and legs a bit, releasing a petite yawn before slowly blinking her eyes open.

As usual, Blake made sure she was the first thing Weiss saw.

"Morning," she murmured. "How did you sleep?"

Weiss offered a small smile as she tried out her voice for the first time that day.

"Good morning... Surprisingly, I slept very well, thank you. What about you?"

"Just knowing you were sleeping well helped me sleep soundly, too."

"I'm glad."

A beat of silence drifted between them, and Blake gave in to her desires. Closing her eyes, she leaned forward, dipping her head slightly to press her lips to Weiss' in a quick kiss.

Weiss' lips curled up into a smile against hers, and their kisses soon traveled to cheeks and noses. Weiss placed her hands on Blake's shoulders, gently pushing her down a bit so she may kiss her Faunus ears in turn. Blake's purr naturally grew fuller and louder.

In an effort to reciprocate the emotion, Blake trailed the kisses down the side of Weiss' neck, bound for one spot in particular. She pressed her lips to every inch of Weiss' collarbone, then traveled toward the center...

But a small sigh stopped Blake in her endeavor, causing her to look up curiously.

"What is it?"

Weiss flashed her eyes to the side, her voice nothing more than a mumble.

"I wish you wouldn't kiss the scar..." she said. "It's ugly. I hate it..."

Blake's purr dwindled in her throat, her heart sinking just a little. She crawled up a bit, keeping the majority of her weight braced on her forearms rather than on the girl beneath her.

She cupped Weiss' right cheek, then bent down to press a long, tender kiss over her left eye. When she pulled back, Blake's lips were pursed into a firm line.

"No way."

Weiss blinked open her scarred eye once the gentle pressure had lifted.

"Blake?"

The Faunus girl didn't explain herself just yet. She merely slid back down, nosing the collar of the blue nightgown aside until the scarlet X was revealed. She kissed it fully, ignoring the little whimper from Weiss as she did so.

She would stop if Weiss asked her to or made it clear that was what she wanted.

But the other girl never made a move against her.

For a full minute or so, Blake kissed the mark there, sliding her lips along the smooth skin as though her lips could erase the red altogether. Years of doing this in the past had yielded failed results for such a hope, but that didn't stop her from trying.

When she felt she'd done enough to convey her message, her steady eyes lifted to meet crystal-blue once more.

"Where's all this coming from?" she murmured. "You've had it for so many years, so why is it only now that you hate it?"

Weiss' lip trembled and she promptly turned her face away.

"Because... in the past, I believed her... I believed Mother when she said it was for my own good. But now... now I know it's just a curse mark. It's keeping me here, and that means its keeping you here as well. _I hate it._.."

Blake could already feel the alarming change in Weiss' body as memories of the night Cinder had inflicted the mark crossed her mind. Weiss' chest started to rise and fall rapidly, and a fast thrumming started flitting in her chest.

"Weiss, no..." Blake begged her not to do this – not now. Carefully, she laid herself down beside the girl and pulled Weiss into her arms, letting her burrow into the crook of Blake's neck. "Don't say that. Don't think about it. You saying you hate that mark is almost like trying to act out against the curse itself, and it's having an effect on your body. Don't say that you hate it. It'll only hurt you more."

"Then what am I _supposed_ to say?" she wailed.

It was a helpless voice, lost and confused, the voice of a girl who'd been lied to by the only parental figure in her life for as long a she could remember.

Blake tightened her grip on the other girl's back.

"You don't have to say anything," she murmured into alabaster locks. "Let me..."

Blake slipped one hand between the two of them, pressing it lightly over the center of Weiss' chest in a familiar gesture – to feel her heart. And the purr came naturally again as she began to speak.

"Even if the mark was given to you will ill-intent... even if it was only meant to hurt you... we can't hate it, Weiss. Any ill-will we feel should be directed onto the curse itself and the one who cast it. But not this mark. Do you know why?"

She felt Weiss' breath fan out in a sigh against her neck, past Blake's bandana. The girl shook her head, indicating she'd been listening to every word Blake said. The Faunus girl smiled, closing her eyes to kiss the crown of Weiss' head.

"We can't hate it, because it's a part of _you_ now."

It was the justification Blake had created for herself many years ago. She'd wanted to hate that mark as well because of what it did, what it represented.

But she'd discovered right away that she couldn't despise any part of Weiss.

The girl had grown quiet in her arms, and Blake went on.

"I've always loved you, Weiss. Even before I knew it was the kind of love where I wanted to kiss you and be close to you... it was another kind of love. Even on the very first day I was brought here, I liked you more than anything else. And that's remained true every day of these past six years of my life. I could never hate you, and you shouldn't either."

She pulled away again solely for the sake of moving Weiss' arms aside to kiss her chest once more. "One day, we'll break this curse. One day we'll get out. My promise still holds strong."

Weiss sniffled against her chest, but if any tears had fallen, they'd gone unnoticed by Blake.

"Thank you..." she whispered.

It was as though Blake had said every word she'd needed to hear, but she hadn't simply uttered them for the sake of speaking; she'd meant every last one of them.

Even if Weiss knew the intentions behind Cinder's actions and the curse now, Blake didn't hate her or think the mark was hideous. Blake still accepted her and loved her.

So Weiss would try to do the same for herself as well.

Her fingers weaved through Blake's long, thick hair, nails clinging lightly to her back.

"But..." Weiss sighed again, her voice becoming almost inaudible now. "When...?" she asked. "When... can we...?"

Blake's purr gradually faded, her ears drooping slightly. She understood what Weiss was trying to ask, and she didn't have a definite answer.

"I'm not sure," she confessed. "I'm not sure... _when_ we can get out of here, Weiss. And I know you've already been here for far too long. And now that you know... everything about Cinder... I can understand why you want to get out right now. But it's not that simple..."

She trailed off for a moment, hoping Weiss wouldn't be upset.

But the girl was silent and still, save for a feather-light brush of lips against Blake's neck.

Weiss understood.

With that knowledge in mind, Blake went on.

"I've been trying to figure it out all these years," she said. "I've been trying to figure out how to break the curse. But every time I thought of something and thought I was getting somewhere, Cinder would prove that it had all been a part of her intentions.

"The truth is, until our ploy yesterday, I've never accomplished anything that she wasn't already permitting. The only thing I ever did of my own volition here was fall in love with you. But even that is a part of what she wants. Because now I'm bound here emotionally just as strongly as you are physically. Neither of us can escape without the other, and that's exactly what she wants."

Another pause, and she feared she might've misspoken, that Weiss might interpret her words incorrectly and believe Blake had only come to love her because it had been a part of Cinder's will all along. The Faunus girl continued in hopes to dissuade such thoughts.

"But even if she intended for us to fall in love, she _never_ expected it to be this much. This love might be what keeps me here, but it isn't what's tying me down. In fact, it's more liberating and empowering than anything.

"Every day, I want to do my best for you alone, Weiss. I want to become stronger and figure out how to break this curse. Because I love you more than anything, Weiss. Loving you is what keeps me going, and one day, it'll be what gets us out of here."

She wasn't sure if what she was saying was making sense anymore. Blake didn't think she'd ever spoken so much at once in her entire life. She hoped her rambling hadn't caused her to misspeak and end up hurting Weiss.

The room was silent again as she waited for some kind of reaction or response.

It took a moment for Weiss to absorb all of her words, but when she had, the white-haired girl pulled back to look up into her eyes.

"So... this love... This was all a part of Mother's plan as well...?"

Her expression was unreadable, but there was no smile on her lips nor a sparkle in her eyes.

And that was what concerned Blake.

She quickly shook her head, ears flat and eyes pleading.

"No! I... No. I won't lie to you, Weiss," she said firmly. "To tell the truth... I can't say for sure. I know she wanted us to be close so that I wouldn't ever leave this place without you. I don't know for certain if she ever intended for us to fall in love."

Her eyes searched Weiss' for something – anything.

"I don't think Cinder ever intended for us to fall in love," she reiterated. "But even if she did, it didn't happen because _she_ wanted it to. It happened because it was meant to happen, and I fully believe that."

Weiss listened quietly all the while, her gaze locked on Blake's and refusing to leave it or even blink. Blake returned the gaze with equal determination, unwilling to break.

This truly was how she felt about everything, and she was laying it all bare before Weiss, even at the risk of losing the other girl's trust in her.

And Weiss could see that. She could see that Blake wasn't hiding anything right now, even after all these years when she easily could have constructed lies to say to her.

Even if it meant losing Weiss' affection, Blake wanted to tell her the truth.

And Weiss was relieved for that.

She'd been told enough lies for one lifetime - in fact she was still living one.

But at the very least, she could be absolutely certain that Blake was genuine, as was her love.

At last, Weiss smiled, feeling the rush of tears behind her eyes.

"Thank you..." she whispered. "Thank you, Blake. For telling me the truth, for staying by my side... and for loving me unconditionally. I didn't think it was possible..."

The relief was mutual. Blake's ears lifted up once more, and warm wetness began coating her cheeks as well.

She pulled Weiss in to her yet again, not to kiss her this time, but merely to hold her, to feel her breathe, and to breathe her in.

"And thank _you_ ," she said. "Thank you for trusting me, Weiss. And for loving me, too."

Tears were cleared away, smiles resurfacing.

They kissed, and it seemed to last for hours, confirming their convictions and strengthening their bond.

And then two rings of a bell sounded.

It would be their first morning 'free', meaning Cinder wouldn't intentionally try to aggravate the curse or harm Weiss in any way.

Blake had her theory of how to break the curse.

But she also had a time limit now.

She wanted to get Weiss out of here before that year was up. Because once it was, Cinder would make them start killing again.

Weiss had yet to stain her hands with innocent blood other than her own, but Blake wasn't willing to take the risk of helping prisoners escape again, nor was she willing to let Weiss become a murderer.

 _"One year..."_

Cinder's words rang in her head as she helped Weiss out of bed and they got dressed to prepare for breakfast.

One year.

It may have seemed like plenty of time, but Blake knew from experience in this place that it was just the opposite.

 _I've got to break the curse before then._

And in all honesty, she wasn't sure she could.

At the very least, she'd make it a year of gathering evidence for her theory, and a year of the most loving closeness possible that she could provide for Weiss.

As they headed down the hall that morning toward the kitchen, Blake was sure to keep a firm grip on Weiss' hand, not knowing which day could be her last chance to do so.

* * *

The first month of their 'free' year passed, and Blake was pleasantly surprised to find Cinder had kept to her word.

There were no more disapproving glares sent at Weiss, no more incidents where she hurt the girl simply because she felt like doing so.

When Cinder wasn't out in town, she stayed behind closed doors, likely working on the Dust rapier to perfect a few things and to make new dresses for Weiss.

During their probation, Weiss and Blake went about the days as they always had, keeping to the living room when Cinder was home and their bedroom when she wasn't.

But even when the witch was in her quarters working on her taboo magics, Weiss had specifically requested to retreat to their bedroom more than a few times.

"The living room..." she said. "It smells odd..."

Blake was led to believe that Weiss was now becoming aware of the rank stench of those Dust-infused stones. Now that she knew of the curse's existence and Cinder's intentions with it, Weiss had become aware of the stench that had put Blake off for nearly half a decade.

Weiss knew full-well that Cinder wanted her to meditate in the living area, but she was willing to act out against her.

And although she was consciously aware of the fact that she was directly disobeying Cinder's orders, her body didn't react violently to that.

Blake knew it was because of what she herself had told Weiss many months ago, that Cinder wanted Weiss to meditate in her bedroom when the woman wasn't home. Weiss had always entirely believed that to be Cinder's will, so in doing so, her body hadn't been affected.

So even now, Weiss was used to meditating in her own room. Therefore, even when Cinder was in the mansion, the girl's body didn't drag her down into a panic.

It was the most prominent form of Weiss' rebellion against the witch since she'd refused to go to Cinder for comfort during that thunderstorm several years earlier.

Blake was glad to see that she was subtly fighting back, even if Weiss might not have known it.

The summer passed by, and Weiss suffered only a few minor panic attacks on instances when she thought Cinder had found her out.

But all in all, there were no full-on attacks, nothing where her body shut down enough to make her sick, or where her heart had started to pound hard enough to make her chest burn.

The autumn was much the same, and soon winter had crept in.

All this time, Blake had been trying to confirm her theory of what they might've been able to do in order to break the curse.

It took a great deal of listening, and an excessive amount of treading on eggshells, so to speak, particularly on her own part.

Luckily, as a Faunus, her hearing was exceptional and able to pay attention to detail, and her stealth and ability to keep quiet were second nature to her.

. . .

It was two months into the winter when she truly felt she'd figured it out.

It was an evening after supper, where Cinder had just held a brief conversation with Weiss, asking about what she'd accomplished that day.

It had been the usual conversation for many years, and although it didn't occur daily, it was common enough for Blake to have more or less memorized by now.

And after months of careful listening, she felt she'd finally found her answer, and the key to get Weiss out of here once and for all.

Presently, she sat on the bed in her sleep clothes, eyes trained on the floor as she tried to configure her thoughts, tried to arrange them in a way they'd make sense.

Even though this was what they both wanted and had been wanting for so long, she didn't want to spring this on Weiss too quickly.

If Blake's thoughts were correct, they wouldn't even be able to act on this right away. She merely wanted to inform Weiss of everything, to see if it seemed plausible. If she thought it was, Blake wanted them to wait just a little while longer, to confirm things time and again until they were certain they could act on it.

A few minutes later, Weiss had finished slipping into her winter sleepwear, which consisted of a long-sleeved nightgown. Blake gave her a pair of her own sleepwear pants to wear, just to ensure the girl wouldn't get too cold in the night.

Blake was often quiet, taciturn by nature, and she was even more so right now due to her pondering.

But she felt Weiss was a bit quieter than usual tonight as well.

Blake lifted her head when she heard footsteps approaching.

Weiss had let her hair down as per usual, and was moving toward the open window. She paused about a foot away, inhaling the crisp night air as best she could.

Blake was about to ask if Weiss wanted her to close it, but the words died on her tongue as Weiss made her way over to the bed. She'd been acting strangely since suppertime, fallen almost uncharacteristically silent, even around Blake.

Usually, she was gleeful or at the very least affectionate when she was alone with Blake.

But now, as the mattress shifted with Weiss' added weight, the Faunus girl looked up to find no smile on the girl's lips, no confidence in her posture.

Her thoughts started to push to the corners of her mind, no longer intent to tell Weiss of her findings right now.

There were a few inches of space between them, and with careful slowness, Blake slid closer, until her thigh brushed against Weiss'. Her hand reached out to the limp ones in the girl's lap, her tone low and words tentative.

"Weiss...? What's the matter?"

Blake had thought things had been going well recently, all things considered. Weiss had seemed happy that morning, and had kissed her several times that day.

But now... she seemed almost despondent.

When those two blue pools finally lifted, anxiety gripped Blake's entire body at the dullness she saw there. It was rather uncalled for, and she didn't know where it was stemming from.

What could've possibly happened between suppertime and now?

"Weiss?"

She reached out to touch the girl's hand.

But even before she could feel the brush of contact, Weiss had pulled away in a manner that left no room for argument.

"No..." she whispered. She clutched her hands to her chest, eyes defiant as she glared at Blake, warning her to keep away.

That look...

It sent a shockwave of sharp pain shooting throughout the Faunus girl's body, the most poignant ache she'd ever experienced, second only to the pain she felt whenever Weiss was suffering an attack.

But this was close.

It was almost debilitating, freezing her blood and making her heart thud so hard it rang in her flattened ears.

Her voice slipped out on a wheezing breath, thin and horrified.

"Weiss...?"

But the white-haired girl didn't waver.

"No," she growled again. "No more, Blake... I'm finished. _We're_ finished."

She got right to the heart of the matter, consequently stabbing Blake's heart in the process. It was an intangible dagger, but the pain was real.

"Wh-What are you saying?" she rasped. "What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly what I'm saying," Weiss snapped. "I don't want you here anymore, Blake. I'm done with you. I want you out of here. I don't love you anymore. In fact... I don't think I ever _really_ did."

Blake forgot how to breathe, her lungs useless in her chest. She couldn't comprehend this, not after everything they'd been through together. She shook her heard, an agonizing sting trapped behind her eyes.

"Weiss..." she whimpered. "No... y-you said it, too. You said it so many times. That you love me, too. No matter what. We promised, didn't we...?"

She made an effort to reach out again, trying to take one of her hands.

But Weiss jerked away with a snarl.

"Don't touch me!" Her voice was unmistakably vehement, cold. "Didn't I make myself clear? I _hate_ you, Blake. All this time, your love for me was something Mother planned! Your feelings for me were never real! You're just an... an _animal!_ Get out of my sight! I never want to see your face again!"

That hurt the most, when Weiss dehumanized her, something she'd never done to Blake before. She'd been the only human Blake knew who _hadn't_ done such a thing before.

She hated this.

She didn't understand why this was happening.

She wished it were a nightmare, but she wasn't waking up from it.

She was scared.

She wanted to run just to get away from this awful feeling-

Until she realized that was _exactly_ what Weiss wanted.

Only when she realized Weiss' true intentions did the tears start to pour down Blake's face.

Had she been a day younger or an ounce more foolish than she was, Blake might've believed her enough to climb out that window and never return.

But she wasn't - not after all she'd been through these past seven years.

She knew what Weiss was doing.

With a hiss, she raised her voice at the girl.

"Oh yeah? If this is what you want, then prove it."

Weiss blinked, her eyes narrowing.

"What are you saying, you fool? How can I make it any clearer than this? Are those ears good for nothing? Didn't you _hear_ me? I said _I hate you and I want you gone._ "

"Prove it!" Blake snapped.

Her purpose had been to provoke Weiss, and it worked.

With another growl, the white-haired girl threw herself at Blake, pinning her down against the bed and trapping her, nails digging into the Faunus girl's shoulders.

" _Get out!_ " she screamed. "Blake, get out of here this instant or so help me I'll knock you senseless and throw you out myself and lock the windows!"

"Even if you lock them, I'll just break my way back in!" Blake retorted. "You can't get rid of me, Weiss!"

"Yes I can!" she screamed, and the tears were falling freely now. "Why can't you understand that _I hate you?!_ "

"Because you're a horrible liar!" Blake yelled back. "If you really wanted me gone, you wouldn't be shaking so much! You wouldn't be crying, you idiot."

"Damn it, Blake!" she gasped. "Just go! Why won't you just get out of here?"

"Because I love you!"

"But I love you, too!" Weiss shouted. "So just _go!_ Get _out_ of here and leave me behind! You don't _have_ to love me! You don't _have_ to come back for me! Just _go_ , damn it!"

She'd forced the words out, and that was all she could say before the weeping took precedence.

"Damn it!" she spat. "Almost... you almost believed me..."

Blake didn't waste another second. She reached up and locked her arms around Weiss' shoulders, pulling the girl down on top of her and holding her tightly in place.

"You idiot..." She whimpered, her voice lowering as the argument faded. "You really are... a horrible liar. I saw right through you..."

A shudder raked Weiss' body, and she choked out a sob against Blake's shoulder.

"I'm... I'm sorry..." she wailed thinly, brokenly. "I just... I wanted to hurt you... I wanted to hurt you so badly th-that you'd... leave without a second thought. It was all I could think of... I just want you to get out of here..."

She was short on breath, and Blake clung to her slim back, rubbing softly.

"I know," she murmured. "I almost believed you for a second. But I know you too well, Weiss. I love you too much... and I know you love me too. You've proven it time and again. Especially now..."

She took a moment to catch her own breath, burying her face in the side of Weiss' neck, breathing in the scent of her hair.

"You love me so much... that'd you'd lie like that. You'd lie and try to hurt me _so_ badly that I'd leave and be free of this place. _That's_ how much you love me."

"I... I'm sorry..." Weiss whispered. "I don't hate you, Blake... I just... I wanted..."

"I know..." the Faunus sighed. "I know."

Weiss had simply been trying to do _anything_ in order to let Blake survive in this horrible life.

For the first time in six months, Weiss broke down in her arms, an awful but regrettably familiar experience. Blake cried with her this time, simply because she was still shaken by the ordeal, by Weiss' false rejection that she had almost believed.

But soon, Blake cried because she was touched beyond description – because Weiss had gone through such lengths to try and convince Blake to leave for her own benefit and wellbeing.

Weiss would even go so far as to hurt Blake that deeply, and surely it would've hurt Weiss twice as much if Blake had believed her.

If Blake had believed her, that would have meant two things.

It would have meant she would've left and never return.

And it would have meant that she hadn't trusted Weiss all those times before when the girl had proclaimed her love for Blake.

Calling Weiss out on her bluff just now had only served to prove the strength of her own affections.

This love was as real as they were.

It had survived countless trials and even a curse.

It had surpassed years of emotional, psychological, and even physical abuse.

It had been stretched thin, but never severed.

And now, both girls knew it never could be.

Nothing could ever defeat this emotion.

It was powerful – almost terrifyingly so.

It couldn't be challenged or bested by anything.

Which was why Blake knew it would play a part in setting them free.

But she didn't tell Weiss of her discoveries and thoughts that night, not after all of this.

Weiss was too distraught, blaming herself for the pain she'd caused Blake, and it was the Faunus girl's task to ease her distress.

Again, she started to purr softly, rolling them both over to reverse their positions. She shielded Weiss from the cold night air, pulling blankets over them both, keeping her eyes trained on the girl beneath her.

Every time Weiss could gasp out the words "I'm sorry," Blake gave the same response:

"It's okay. I love you, Weiss."

And every time she said that four-letter word, Weiss cried harder.

Blake kissed her everywhere, every bit of exposed white skin she could find, scarred or not. She even rolled up Weiss' nightgown to reveal the small scar on her navel just above the line of her pants.

Shifting down, Blake kissed that as well, all over her stomach as it jolted with Weiss' sobs. She never stopped purring, maintaining that constant reassurance to remind Weiss she was still here, that Blake didn't hate her, not even after all of this.

She just kept kissing her, kept reminding Weiss that she loved her.

Minutes turned to hours, and the moonlight shifted, dyeing the room and their bodies in silver. That silver caught in the water of Weiss' tears.

Blake's tears had stopped a while ago, though the purr persisted.

She wiped all of Weiss' tears on her sleeve and dabbed them with her bandana. She covered the girl's swollen cheeks with more kisses, whispered more vows of affection against her heartbeat.

Eventually, Weiss must have felt herself slipping, and Blake felt it too, the grip on her clothes slackening, the pulse beneath her own slowing.

"Blake..." she whispered again. "I truly... am sorry..." She couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. "I love you. Please... don't leave me... I don't want to wake up alone..."

Blake gave her another squeeze, planting warm kisses over he forehead and brow.

"I know you love me, Weiss," she murmured. "I love you, too. And you _know_ that. I'll be here when you wake up, just like I always am. I promise, Weiss."

Her arms looped around the girl's neck and shoulders, and Blake settled onto her side, drawing Weiss close against her chest.

"Just sleep now. I'm here. I'm always here, and I always will be."

With one final burdened breath, Weiss fell silent and still. The tears stopped, the labored breathing deepened, the scared heartbeat slowed.

Again, Blake kept her vigil, the thoughts from before their argument resurfacing once more.

 _I'll tell her soon_ , she decided. _Maybe not tomorrow. I should give her a day to recover and calm down a bit._

She stoked her hand through Weiss' hair, all the way down to her hip.

 _But I'll tell her soon. I'll tell her and we'll get out of here before springtime, before our year is up._

This was a vow to both Weiss and to herself.

With it in mind, Blake allowed her eyelids to fall shut, and with one final kiss to Weiss' temple, she let sleep sweep her under its combers.

* * *

Time was precious, and certainly not on their side, but even so, Blake forced herself to wait on revealing her thoughts on how to break the curse.

The following day was a little rough, as Weiss still clearly blamed herself from the night before.

She kept doing her utmost to avoid Blake's gaze, and every other phrase out of her mouth was an apology.

Blake reassured her every time, constantly reminding Weiss that she understood the girl's intentions, and that there was nothing to apologize for.

She didn't mention the curse for a few days, fearing it might all be too much too quickly for Weiss.

And so another week of winter passed, and it was one of the coldest ones they'd ever experienced.

The two girls would cling to one another at night, pressing as close as physically possible.

But despite the frigid air, Weiss had requested not to close the window.

Blake feared they'd fall ill, though, so they had compromised with just leaving it open halfway.

It snowed those nights, the world outside blanketed in thin layers of powdery white.

Every night, they'd sit in bed and recite one of those books they knew by heart without even glancing at the pages.

Weiss' eyes were always transfixed on the snow flurrying down outside, and many times, Blake noticed the girl's hand subconsciously reaching out, as though wanting to touch it.

Once, Blake had ventured to the window sill herself and reached out as far as she could to scoop up a handful of the stuff, bringing it back inside for Weiss to marvel at and feel for herself.

One evening, in the dark of night, during one of her moments of stillness, Weiss had stared out the window for a long while, eyes open but faded, as though locked in a world of the past.

It was hazy, blurred with white and shadows, her thoughts a jumbled mess.

But her lips moved without her knowing it, and produced a single word:

"Winter..."

Blake's ears perked up at the sound.

They way she'd said it had made it sound as though it had... more meaning than simply a cold, snowy night.

Blake said nothing, silently encouraging Weiss to try and tap into whatever memories she could recall.

But a few minutes later, Weiss merely sighed and slumped back against Blake's chest.

"I can't remember anything..." she sighed.

Blake held her close, wrapping both arms around her stomach and tracing circles over the wound hidden there. She let out a purr and dipped her face to kiss the side of Weiss' neck.

"It's okay," she murmured. "You did your best."

And again, the time didn't seem right to tell her about breaking the curse.

Blake decided tomorrow would be the day.

So that night, she laid down with Weiss in her arms, realizing that with any shred of luck at all, this would be one of their last nights in this accursed place.

* * *

Morning came, and it was cold, too.

The world outside was blanketed in thick white, and Blake's eyes drifted to it for a while as Weiss continued to sleep. She would be sure to eat all of her food today, and encourage Weiss to do the same.

They would need all of their strength for what lie ahead.

Blake's blood was already roaring in anticipation and nervousness, so much so that she could feel it.

When Weiss woke, it was with a soft moan.

"Blake...? Are you alright? Your heart's pounding."

The Faunus girl simply bit her lip and nodded her head, drawing Weiss nearer.

"Yes... I'm fine. Don't worry..."

She said as much, but now Blake was starting to fret.

What if the timing wasn't right? What if she was wrong about her theory? What if what she planned to do caused Cinder's wrath so intensely that Weiss got hurt again?

A whimper died in her throat, as she'd swallowed it back before it could escape.

 _No. No more second-guessing this. We've waited eight years, damn it! Any longer and god only knows what that witch will make of us. Her own personal murderers and clean-up crew. Disgusting._

She wouldn't let that happen to someone as pure as Weiss. The girl had been through far too much already. She'd more than earned her freedom, and Blake wanted to be the one to grant it to her, no matter the cost.

Evidently, she'd been lost in thought for a minute, because what brought her back to reality was a gentle kiss on the cheek. She blinked, finding two pools of blue, clearer than the winter sky that watched them from above.

Weiss' hand brushed gingerly over her cheek, and Blake sighed, pressing into her palm. Her delicate fingers combed through Blake's hair smoothly as the lips traveled to her temple, and then to her ears.

The purr came without thought, an airy, gravelly sound, but one Weiss loved more than any other.

Blake reciprocated by moving her lips across Weiss' scarred eye, mumbling little phrases along the way. She went down to the girl's shoulder where her nightgown exposed skin and kissed there as well. She finished with a kiss over Weiss' heart, again making an effort to blot out the mark there.

Weiss pet through her hair and all down her back to demonstrate her appreciation for the action.

"I love you, Blake," she sighed, feeling more content than usual.

Blake felt it as well.

"I love you, Weiss," she replied.

For a few more minutes, the purrs and kisses continued.

Only when Blake's thoughts started taking hold and reminding her of what needed to be done did she pull away. Her eyes bore into Weiss', and she inhaled deeply.

"Weiss..." she began. "There's... something I need to talk to you about-"

But before she could finish her sentence, an awfully familiar ringing cut her off.

The bell had rung once, and she stopped speaking to listen for the second ring to summon them to breakfast.

Weiss bumped her nose against Blake's.

"Tell me after we eat. I'll listen to everything."

Blake nodded and let Weiss free of her arms.

The two girls quickly scrambled out of bed to change their clothes, Weiss putting on one of her newly-embroidered light blue dresses outlined with gold. Blake slipped into a purple sweater and a pair of black pants, then tied on the usual black boots and at last put the bandana around her neck.

But even as they hurried to change, the bell never rang a second time.

Weiss had just finished stepping into her white shoes and tying her hair into its usual ponytail when she felt her heart skip a beat.

She turned back around to look at Blake, but found the same confusion in her eyes.

"Blake...?" she whispered. "It... It didn't ring again... did it?"

"No..."

One ring.

Not two.

Which could only mean one thing.

"W-What?"

Instantly, Weiss rushed toward the door, Blake hot on her heels.

"What's going on?" she hissed, her blood heated with both fear and fury. "It's only been seven months! What's she doing?"

But as they hurried out into the hallway, hand-in-hand, neither asked any more questions.

They simply followed the demanded routine, keeping close to the walls and checking every part of the house they passed through for danger or unwanted visitors.

But Blake feared this was going to be just like the last time. There wouldn't be anyone else in the mansion; at least, not on the aboveground levels.

She had half a mind to tug Weiss to a stop before they'd even reached the bookshelf, but nothing good would come of risking Cinder's ire.

Therefore, they slipped through the hidden door and descended the staircase into the freezing basement below.

Blake was sure to keep herself in front, her eyes instantly adjusting in the limited lighting. The single window was covered up and blocked by snow, but the light in the basement came from a familiar lantern hanging on the wall.

As Blake had feared, this seemed to be the same predicament as seven months ago with the two sisters.

Cinder was standing in the middle of the room, the hood of her cloak down to reveal her ashen hair, too dull even to reflect the firelight. That job was for her eyes, perpetually burning, be it with hatred, anger, or hunger.

Bloodlust.

It seemed clear that was the thing on her mind again today.

Blake and Weiss skidded to a halt on the stone floor, the sounds of their panting breaths echoing around the room.

Cinder smiled upon seeing them, then opened her arms invitingly. In one of her hands was a familiar rapier.

"Welcome, my dear."

Blake noticed the witch's eyes were trained solely upon Weiss as she addressed her daughter alone.

Blake didn't like this, didn't like that Cinder's focus was entirely on Weiss. So she made an effort to redirect it onto herself.

"What is this?" she growled, squeezing Weiss' hand tighter. "You said you'd give us one year."

Cinder's smile dropped instantly, her arms coming back to her sides. Clearly, she didn't fancy being interrupted.

With a downward plunge of her arm, she stabbed the rapier's tip into the stone floor to let it stand for itself. With terrifying speed, she slithered across the room, her eyes narrowed and aiming for the Faunus girl.

"One year?" she spat.

Cinder came to a halt just a breath away from Blake, and the girl recoiled a step at that strong, rank stench of Dust. But Cinder reached out, grabbing her face with one hand to yank her forward again.

"One year for you to do _what_ , exactly? Continue to make an effort to rebel against me? Don't think I haven't realized what you're up to, _animal._ "

Stepping back, she forced Blake forward, dragging her away from Weiss, pulling their hands apart. Blake hissed as she felt a slight searing in her cheek, her hand dropping limply to her side without Weiss to hold onto anymore. She struggled to keep her eyes open as Cinder snarled threateningly into her face.

"How vulgar. Do you have _any_ idea how much it's sickened me to keep such _filth_ in my residence for this many years? But I put up with it all this time, because _this_ is what it comes down to."

 _This...?_ Blake thought. _And what exactly is 'this'?_

Her thoughts cut off as Cinder finally released her face. Blake grunted and took a step back toward Weiss.

But a shout from the witch prevented her from moving so much as another step.

There was a rush of air, and that was the last thing Blake heard before a torrid pain shot through both of her Faunus ears.

She screamed, the force of the impact knocking her sideways to stumble against the wall where she had no other option but to crumple. She heard Weiss scream her name, but other than that, it was only her own screams.

The witch had swiped at her ears specifically, using her Dust-enhanced nails to burn them. Blake could feel warm blood dripping down into her hair, and her hands covered her throbbing ears as another cry of pain flew from her lungs.

It was only when the coolness of her aura started to trickle into the wounds when she could start hearing properly once more.

The witch was standing a few yards in front of her, blocking Weiss' path to Blake. But the harsh voice was directed at the Faunus girl.

"Animal," she said again. "Faunus are the scum of the planet. But I had to allow at least one into this place. All for this purpose..."

As she trailed off, her eyes turned back to the girl in blue. Cinder stalked back over to the rapier in the stone floor, pulling it out before making her way back toward her daughter.

"I can't kill," she stated. "The best I can do is shred them with these nails to a certain degree. I can torture and maim and curse, but nothing more. I can bring them to the brink of death, but never over the edge. My abilities won't suffice for what I need accomplished."

She paused a few feet away from her daughter, then held out the rapier to her.

"As you already know, that is where _you_ come in, my dear."

Blake lifted her head, trying to see what was going on as she did her best to ignore the pain. Weiss hadn't accepted the rapier just yet, her blue eyes locked on Cinder's amber ones.

"Mother..." she said hollowly. "What... is my task...?"

Cinder smiled, a cruel cackle echoing about the room.

"From this day forth..." she husked. "Your task will be to eradicate the Faunus of Vale, one by one as I bring them to you."

Blake felt her stomach twist so tightly she would've been ill if she'd had anything in her system. She pressed a hand to her mouth to keep the bile down, her throat burning with acid. Her injured ears flicked at the sound of Weiss' voice, and Blake didn't know what to make of it.

"Then... show me my victim," she said levelly. "Show me who you've brought and I will kill them, Mother."

Weiss accepted the rapier.

Cinder laughed again, gliding behind the girl.

"Your victim? Why, my dear child-"

Her hands slipped to either side of Weiss' face, turning her until blue met with gold.

Blake's heart stopped, and she could tell by Weiss' expression that hers did too as the witch finished her sentence:

"-you're looking at her."

* * *

 **A/N: -**

 **Ch9 preview: _"The way I see it," Cinder hummed. "There can be as many as three deaths here today, or as few as one. That is up to you two to decide."_**

 **If you like my work, please support me on as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	10. Chapter 9 - The Promise

**Finally, you'll find out the truth about the curse, but whether or not it does them any good is yet to be seen.**

 **WARNINGS for physical/mental/psychological abuse.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 9. The Promise

Weiss had no breath left in her body.

Many times before, events had transpired within this mansion to steal her breath, often enough where it really wasn't that much of a surprise anymore.

But nothing in all those nearly ten years had _ever_ been as bad as _this_.

Weightless and numb, she was scrambling to grasp the situation before her that seemed so far beyond comprehension now.

Her eyes couldn't tear themselves away from Blake's, the grip on her rapier slackening almost to the point of dropping it. Her hands shook as though from extreme cold, and her knees were no better. But there was nothing to support her here in the middle of the frigid basement.

Blake was crumpled in pain before her, screaming and bleeding where Cinder had burned her ears.

And now the words were sinking in.

Her task was to...

"M...Mother..." she rasped against the woman's grip on her face. "Wh-What do you...?"

Cinder's nails dug into her cheeks lightly before releasing her chin. The woman stepped slowly, a tantalizing pace as opposed to the overdrive Weiss' heart was presently suffering from.

Cinder paused just a few feet in front of the girl, eyes burning and yet simultaneously cold – uncaring. She had never empathized with her daughter's pain, and she certainly wasn't about to start now.

She turned her merciless gaze upon the Faunus, then back to the other.

"Haven't I made myself clear?" she asked. "You're to kill your beloved pet, my child."

Her words only confirmed Weiss' fears, and the girl staggered a step back. She watched Cinder smile, her voice firm but also amused as she went on.

"Oh, come now, darling. I'll have you know this is a fairly common practice. It's quite popular in the military. The commanders will give each new cadet a pup, and for the next decade's worth of training, each solider will grow up alongside their precious mutts. They become best friends, loyal and beloved to one another. Those dogs jump at every chance to serve their masters. They go through everything together..."

She paused, her gaze dragging back down to Blake.

"And then... on the last day of their training, those soldiers are presented with one final task..."

Her heels clicked across the cold stone as she neared Blake.

"To kill their beloved doggies. Put a bullet right through their heads like the animals they are. It proves the soldier's worth, loyalty, and purpose. And that is exactly what I want to see from you, dear."

Cinder whipped around, eyes narrow and unforgiving as she raised her voice at her little white solider.

"You're going to kill her, and I'm going to watch you do it, child."

Reaching down, she grabbed Blake's shoulders with both hands and threw her forward.

Weiss let out a short scream as she was forced to watch the one she loved treated with such violence.

Blake hissed in agony as her palms and knees scraped against the stone, the tattered fur of her ears still matted with blood.

Cinder laughed and continued her discourse.

"I gave you those girls the last time because they were human. If you can kill humans, then you'll have no problem in killing trash like the Faunus. They are beneath us. They are _nothing_."

Still, Weiss couldn't move. She didn't dare budge so much as an inch, lest her body act on instinct and do Cinder's bidding without the consent of her mind.

She could only look at Blake, the Faunus girl's shaken golden gaze lifting up to meet hers.

In a vain effort to preserve her life, Blake coughed and addressed the witch.

"And what of _my_ task?" she wheezed. "It was my duty to dispose of the corpses once she'd killed them. I can't do anything if I'm dead."

Cinder laughed even louder.

"You pathetic cur!" she snapped, reaching down to pull at her ears again. "You are useless to me _and_ to her! I'll dispose of the bodies myself and I'll take great pleasure in doing so. She'll kill every last dirty animal in town for me once I lure them here. Because she _cannot_ oppose me."

Blake slowly moved her hands away from her abused ears, lifting herself up onto her knees in an effort to stand.

"She won't obey you. Not anymore," she hissed.

"Oh?" Cinder mused. "And why is that?"

"Because-"

"Because she _loves_ you?" the witch guessed.

Blake said nothing, but merely stood once more.

But Cinder sent a swift kick to the backs of her knees, a force so powerful that Blake was quickly colliding with the ground once more. The witch stepped on her hair, dragging her foot until the strands ripped. Blake howled in agony, and Weiss covered her ears.

Cinder's laugh filled the room once more.

"A cat with a sense of humor!" she cackled. "Now there's a sight to behold!"

Kneeling down, she grabbed a handful of Blake's hair and yanked her head back, glaring down into her watering eyes.

"You imbecile. Don't you understand? It doesn't _matter_ if she loves you. She can't disobey me unless she'd rather have her body attack itself. Do you mean to tell me she loves you _so_ much that she'd let herself die for you, _pet?_ "

She didn't wait for an answer, but merely threw Blake back down. The Faunus girl just barely managed to save herself from a concussion as she put her arms out to cushion the fall, leaving her elbows streaked with blood now.

The witch was stalking back toward Weiss again, and Blake leaned heavily against the nearest wall, standing as best she could.

Weiss still hadn't moved. The rapier in her hand had its tip on the stone floor, and that seemed to be supporting her more than her own two legs were.

Cinder's hips swayed, the cloak fluttering out behind her in a crimson carpet of a shadow as she reached the girl.

"Is it true, my dear?" she asked, feigning hurt. "Do you truly love your pet even more than you fear your mother?"

Weiss managed to tear her eyes away from Blake for a moment, directing them to blazing amber instead of gold.

The words she spoke next were as good as an assisted suicide request:

"You're not my mother."

For a few seconds, only the hollow howl of the air filled the basement.

Blake gasped aloud when she heard Weiss' words; she had more or less just spat in the witch's face.

Blake was unspeakably proud of her for that.

But not a second later, that pride turned to a crushing trepidation.

The witch's lips lost the curve of that wicked smile, and within a split second, she lunged at the girl. The rapier clattered to the floor as Cinder pinned her against the wall, both hands pressed forcefully against her throat.

Weiss could feel the nails digging into her skin, drawing blood forth. The little remaining breath was stolen from her body, crushed from her lungs and shoved violently from her windpipe - a cygnet in the jaws of a panther.

Furious and terrified, Blake screamed and rushed toward them.

"No-!"

" _Silence!_ "

Cinder whipped around just as the Faunus girl neared. She released Weiss' throat with one hand only to strike Blake with it, sending the Faunus reeling backward with three long scratches appearing on her cheek.

Blake staggered back, her vision swirling as the world heaved around her, ears ringing. She could only watch helplessly as the witch pressed her full weight against Weiss.

The girl's eyes were squeezed shut in sheer agony, her mouth agape for breath that wouldn't come.

And then, Blake watched as the witch's body slowly started to pull away, though her bitter expression told that she didn't want to.

It was by no will of her own that Cinder released the girl, and Weiss dropped to the floor, gagging and coughing desperately for air.

Blake trembled as she witnessed the ordeal that had left Weiss just barely clinging to life.

Cinder snorted, eyes scorning the girl at her feet.

"You see? I cannot kill. I can only go so far before I'm forced away. I could crush the breath from your lungs repeatedly for years on end and never kill you. Is that what you want, my dear? Because I think it would be much less painful for you to simply do as I ask. All you've got to do is accomplish what I cannot. Kill the Faunus, and keep your breath. That sounds like a fair trade, does it not?"

Blake's ears were still pained and pinned flat against her scalp, more so due to Weiss' clipped, shallow breathing now rather than the burns inflicted upon them by Cinder.

Blake took a step forward to reach for the girl, but the witch shoved her back.

"Don't touch her!" the woman snarled. "You've done quite enough of that over the years, sharing her every conscious and unconscious second! She's _mine_ and she'll do as _I_ say, do you hear me?" She turned her gaze back down to the breathless girl. "Get up," she ordered.

Despite her panic, Weiss heard the command. She feared being choked again, feared what her own body would do to itself is she disobeyed Cinder a second time.

Pushing against the floor, she struggled to find her footing.

Blake watched in horrified silence.

The witch picked up the rapier and placed the hilt back into her daughter's hand.

"Now," she said. "I believe I've ordered you to kill that Faunus. Do it, girl. Or..." The wicked smile returned, her voice eerily suave. "Of course there's always the option of trying to kill _me_ with it instead. Oh, but if you did, that would be a _terrible_ act of disobeying me. I should like to believe your body would react rather nastily to such a deed. You'd wither _slowly_ , vomit until there was blood pouring out. Your heart would give and you'd convulse in _agonizing_ pain until it was all finally over. And then you'd never be able to be with your pet again."

Her eyes flashed to Blake. "And then your pet could be free of us forever. Or maybe she'd kill herself so she could _be_ with you. How sweet. I hope you're both willing to take the risk. Do you truly trust death to be so kind as to reunite the two of you?"

Blake felt another swell of nausea work its way up, and she needed to look away.

Weiss, too, was starting to feel ill. She could either kill Blake and continue to slaughter innocent Faunus from this day forward, or disobey Cinder here and now and let herself fall victim to her curse.

Either option would bring her immense pain, and at least one - if not both - would ultimately end in someone's death.

Still, Cinder continued with her words, toying with the two girls like a cat with wounded mice.

"Unless of course, you'd like to change things up a bit. The animal could take the sword from you and try to kill me. But either way, my poor daughter wouldn't be able to bear the sight of me dead. She'd perish shortly afterward."

Her eyes had gone back to Blake's. "Or you could even turn the blade upon her, defend yourself and kill the one you love. Wouldn't that be something to see? I must say, if you'd like to try it, I certainly wouldn't be opposed. I put a lot of work into raising this child to do my bidding, but if she can't kill, then she is useless to me. Either the cur can kill her or I'll do it myself."

At last, Cinder took a step back, letting the girls lock eyes once again.

"The way I see it," she hummed. "There can be as many as three deaths here today, or as few as one. That is up to you two to decide."

Silence soon weighed down the cold, dark basement once again, swallowing its occupants.

Blake's gaze covered the distance between Weiss and herself, trying to meet her eyes.

But Weiss seemed to be looking through her.

There was still pain shooting through Blake's Faunus ears, but she heard the girl's whimper clearly.

"I don't... want to..." she gasped.

The words gave Blake a small shred of hope somehow.

But when Weiss moved, her hand was still holding that rapier.

"I don't want to..." she said again. "But..."

"H-Hey..." Blake tried to sound reassuring about all of this, but the waver in her voice said far more than words ever could. "You... wouldn't do this. You're not a murderer."

She heard a scoff from Cinder, but the witch didn't interfere. Blake knew she was enjoying herself much more by being a spectator.

So she opted to ignore the woman for now, her eyes only on Weiss.

"You don't have to do this," Blake murmured.

"No..." Weiss' voice was a thin breath of air, still heightened with panic from the near-death experience she'd just suffered. "Blake... I don't know... I-I don't know of any other way..."

Her voice tapered off as she took a step forward, the tip of the rapier scraping the stone floor in the process. "M-Maybe... it's better this way. You can be free... from all of this... from _me_... You won't have to feel pain anymore."

Blake took a step back for every one Weiss advanced.

"But _you_ will!" she shouted. "You'll still have to feel pain, and I won't be there to help you anymore if you kill me here!"

"Isn't that better?!" Weiss screamed. "I don't care if there's more pain in store for me! I deserve it after all of this! But _you_ don't! And if this is only way I can free you, then so be it!"

She lifted the rapier swiftly, holding it tightly and aiming it with skill she'd never been taught before, but that was somehow present anyway.

Then, with a short, tormented scream, she charged with incredible speed.

Blake moved on instinct and dodged, though even if she hadn't, she wasn't able to assess whether Weiss would've hit her or not.

The white-haired girl stumbled, her shoulder bumping against the wall where Blake had stood just seconds before. Panting with effort, those two crystal blue eyes looked up past frazzled bangs.

Blake froze at the sight of them, piercing and yet awfully dull somehow.

Weiss squared her shoulders and prepared for the next attack, and two words fell from her lips.

" _I'm sorry..._ "

Blake didn't know if the apology stemmed from Weiss' guilt for _trying_ to kill her at all, or regret that she was still going to try again.

Either way, Blake had few options.

She could try to disarm Weiss, or keep dodging until one of them got too exhausted to carry on.

Or she could die here by Weiss' hand.

Playing tag in front of the witch didn't seem like the better option here; surely Cinder would interfere soon enough and hold Blake down so Weiss could finish her off.

And if she tried to disarm and fight Weiss, Blake knew she could end up hurting her.

So that left her with only one option.

Her eyes never left the other girl's.

Weiss looked up at her, her own gaze silently screaming about years of torture, hopelessness, and fear. Her cheeks were already wet, and there were red impressions left on her neck from when Cinder had strangled her earlier.

She'd suffered enough pain.

Weiss let out another sob, then aligned the tip of the blade with Blake's chest and shot forward.

But Blake didn't budge.

Not this time.

If this was Weiss' decision, she would gladly accept it.

Even if it meant she couldn't fulfill her promise...

If this was what was better for Weiss, if this was what was less painful for her...

Blake closed her eyes and opened her arms, welcoming the fatal blow.

She trusted Weiss with this grave decision, and if Blake had to choose one person she'd rather have take her life...

She wouldn't have it any other way.

A lot of things reached Blake's ears in that next spilt second:

Weiss' scream-

The rush of air-

Cinder's laugh...

And then there was a small, sharp pressure on Blake's chest, gathered at the center of her collar, preparing to push through and drive her back against the wall until she was impaled through.

But it never pressed any further than the surface material of her purple bandana.

There was a sob, then a familiar clattering sound as the pressure disappeared.

"Never..." Weiss sobbed. "I could never..."

And then, Blake felt a soft, familiar warmth spreading throughout her body.

Opening her eyes soon confirmed her assumptions as to what had transpired.

Weiss threw herself at Blake, looping her arms around the Faunus girl's shoulders, burying her face in the side of her neck. She wept freely there, clinging desperately to her as she wailed apologies.

"I'm sorry! Blake, I-I didn't mean to..."

Blake didn't need to hear or see any more. Her arms were already around Weiss' back, keeping her close.

"I know you didn't mean to..." she soothed. "It's okay. Shh..."

Weiss shuddered violently in her arms.

"I love you-" she gasped. "B-Blake, I love you a-and I don't know what to-"

Her fragile words were cut off by an enraged screech, a furious, wrathful voice that made both girls' hearts stop.

"Little _wretch!_ "

With speed that bested a swooping bat, Cinder darted across the room.

Blake only just barely managed to take a step back in an effort to pull Weiss away from her, hissing defiantly at the witch in the process.

But Cinder didn't care about her right now.

For the raging witch, it was a simple task to grab the back of Blake's shirt in one hand and the back of Weiss' dress in the other and tear them apart.

There was only a second's worth of focus on Blake as she felt a searing hand on her chest. Cinder gave a mighty shove, sending the Faunus girl spiraling back, her head colliding with the wall.

A withering yelp pierced the air, but Blake couldn't save herself. She slumped back against the wall and fell to her knees, a concussive throbbing repeatedly slamming against her skull and the space behind her eyes. She moaned in agony, clutching her head and ears, that awful heat still lingering on her chest.

But even despite her pain, she couldn't ignore what she heard next.

Weiss screamed as Cinder thrust her against the far wall of the basement, holding her by the throat so that her shoes dangled off the ground. Her hands clutched desperately at the witch's arms, but there was no strength in them at all.

From where she was, Blake had the perfect angle to see Weiss' agonized expression, her mouth agape in a silent scream, legs thrashing for dear life.

Cinder's baleful shout echoed loudly enough to make the mansion shake.

" _You've disobeyed me!_ " she snarled. "I'll make sure this is the last time!"

Her grasp tightened around the girl's throat, and if she could have, she would've liked to snap her neck.

Blake tried to scream, if only to divert the witch's attention for a second, but it never worked.

So she started crawling, dragging herself across the cold floor, its temperature a small relief to the stifling heat in her chest. She scrambled to her hands and knees, pushed herself up to her feet, but only managed a few steps before collapsing once more.

She was only a few feet away from Cinder's cloaked back now, but the closeness only served to let her see the suffering being inflicted on Weiss all the more clearly.

Weiss felt like a rag doll, nothing more than an object for Cinder to continue abusing willingly now after so many years of similar treatment.

There was nothing solid beneath her shoes, her entire body suspended by Cinder's constricting hands. The wall her back was crushed against emitted a faint coolness, but Weiss' chest was on fire.

As Cinder's nails dug into her skin, they burned with Dust, sending more fire into Weiss' bloodstream to attack her heart. She struggled as much as her body could manage, but nothing she did had any effect.

When Cinder finally did step back and pull away, it was of no volition of her own. She truly wanted to kill the girl, but her own curse forbade her from doing so.

However, she knew the girl's body would simply kill itself before long, and she wanted to help speed up that process.

She wanted to watch.

As Cinder's grip loosened, Weiss slumped to the floor, hacking painfully as her head collided with stone. There was a dull throbbing throughout her entire body, sore and burning.

But the heat in her chest was the worst, raging invisible flames that only she could feel. Her blood was red lava, searing her from the inside out, head to toe. Her body convulsed in spasms, jerking as her chest heaved for air that wouldn't come.

Blake watched in horror, screaming incoherently all the while.

But Cinder only smiled.

She loomed over the girl she'd once treated as her own flesh and blood, now spitting vile curses at her.

"You _wretched_ girl," she snapped. "You've disobeyed me. You are of no use to me any longer. Even after all these years I put into you, you're not worth my time anymore. You've made Mother _very_ angry."

Her words set off every red flag in Weiss' mind, her body triggered by the thought of upsetting Cinder. A new wave of pain fired through her body, and her heart started to pound with a rapid, aching beat.

Cinder laughed again.

"Perhaps I can't kill you myself, but at the very least I can help prolong your suffering until your precious little heart gives out of its own accord."

Reaching down, she picked the girl up by the throat once more, and squeezed.

Blake was unspeakably horrified, nauseated by what she was seeing, enough to have to turn her face to one side. She wanted to be ill, but there was nothing left in her system to vomit.

 _Weiss..._

Cinder was killing her.

She was going to keep strangling her and insulting her again and again until Weiss' heart gave out.

Weiss was _dying_.

Right this very second, she was being murdered just a few feet away.

And Blake was doing nothing about it.

She jolted and returned her gaze to the horrific scene at the sound of another thud.

Cinder had dropped her again, and Weiss had stopped coughing now. Eyes closed, body limp, there wasn't much air passing through her lips anymore - if any.

Every other second, her body would convulse, feeble, broken sounds slipping from her lips. Her dress had been ruffled enough to reveal the mark on her chest, and Blake could see it was pulsing red.

She'd held Weiss through similar pain many times before.

She knew it was burning Weiss from the inside.

She knew Weiss' heart was straining to dangerous levels right now.

She knew Weiss couldn't take any more of this.

Cinder reached down again, crimson nails grabbing at Weiss' throat.

"This will be the last time," she said. "The last time you disobey me. And the last time you draw breath. I'll make sure of it."

She stood the girl up despite her limpness, locked her fingers around her bleeding neck, and squeezed-

"S- _Stop!_ "

Cinder paused, relinquishing her grip for a mere second as she turned her face to the source of the noise.

"Silence, you cur!" she growled. "You'll be next. I may not be able to kill you with my own two hands, but at the very least I can lock you down here and wait until you starve."

"Humph... you wish..." she rasped.

Cinder snorted.

"What was that?"

Blake flashed her glance back to Weiss. The girl's chest was barely moving anymore, but the X-shaped mark on her chest continued to pulse rapidly. Her heart was still beating, but it was at unnaturally high speeds that likely wouldn't persist for very much longer.

Blake swallowed and forced her gaze back to Cinder's.

"You can't keep us here any longer," she said, pushing herself to her knees, ignoring the pain to the best of her abilities.

"Oh, _really?_ " the witch mused. "And why is that, pet?"

Blake paused for a moment. She still wasn't sure if she was right about this, and risking it being wrong meant she'd have to watch Weiss die right here before her eyes.

But it was all she had left.

"Because..." she growled. "Because we know how to break the curse."

For a moment, the only sounds in the cold, unforgiving room were Weiss' pitiful breaths.

But those were soon cut short by a maniacal laugh.

"The _curse?_ " Cinder sneered. "You think you can break the curse? That's exquisite, indeed." She gave another laugh, and without warning started to choke the girl before her once again.

" _No!_ " Blake yelled.

Weiss gave a meek cough as she was denied oxygen once again.

She truly couldn't take this anymore...

It hurt.

It hurt _so_ badly.

She couldn't breathe, couldn't think.

Her blood was on fire, her heart was exploding, the panic was overtaking her completely.

She knew she was going to die.

And at least... this way Blake had the chance of getting out.

Weiss decided this was the best possible outcome after all.

She'd accept this.

So she stopped fighting Cinder, stopped struggling, stopped trying to draw breath.

She let go of it all...

Blake had been glaring Cinder down when it happened. From the corner of her eye, she saw Weiss go limp, her head rolling helplessly to one side.

Cinder felt the change as well, sneering once more as she loosened her grip on the girl's neck.

"It seems she's on her way out," she stated.

With that, the witch released the girl's body.

Blake immediately jumped forward, her legs scraping against the stone floor as her arms reached out. She caught Weiss in her arms softly, cradling her in her lap. She turned her over until she could see Weiss' tear-soaked face.

The wet trails ran all the way down to her abused neck and collar, and Blake could instantly feel a terrible heat wafting from her. There was a stream of golden steam rising from the mark on her chest.

With a whimper, Blake placed her hand over Weiss' heart.

And there was... nothing there.

There was heat, tears, blood, but nothing more.

No movement.

No rhythm.

No pulse.

"No..." she whispered. "No, no, no, d-don't do this to me- _NO!_ " she screamed.

Desperately, she leaned forward, pressing her lips against Weiss' and pushing a breath of air into her lungs. Her ears were folded tightly against her scalp, but she still heard Cinder's cackling loud and clear.

"Go ahead, pet!" she howled. "Break the curse! Be my guest!"

Past the sounds of echoing laughter, Blake was certain Cinder wasn't able to hear her words. She kept her voice in a pleading whisper as she kissed another breath into Weiss' mouth.

"Weiss..." she murmured. "Weiss, _please_... don't go. Don't leave me. I need you..."

Her tears were spilling over already, seeping into Weiss' dress and running down the other girl's cheeks. Blake continued kissing her, pausing only briefly to press an ear to her chest.

Every time, she heard nothing.

"Weiss..." she whispered. "Weiss, please..."

Her free hand caressed the girl's silken hair, then the cuts around her throat. Blake shared her aura enough to close the smaller wounds, but there was little she could do for the scorching heat on Weiss' skin. She kissed the white-haired girl again, transferring as much air as she could.

"Don't go..." she begged. "I... I love you, Weiss... _please_..."

But Blake soon found she couldn't go on. Her own breath was cut short by the assaulting sobs, and her eyes couldn't stay open any longer.

She kissed Weiss' lips one final time, then laid her head over the girl's motionless chest and wept.

She didn't care if Cinder took that rapier and stabbed it through her now. There wasn't much left to live for at this point.

Blake had failed.

Failed Weiss, failed her promise.

She didn't deserve to go back home.

She didn't deserve to live.

Not without Weiss.

So she cried, not knowing where Cinder had gone or what she was doing. She only cared about the girl in her arms, the girl she'd fallen in love with-

-the girl she'd failed to protect and keep her promise to.

"I'm so sorry..." she gasped. " _I'm so, so sorry..._ "

And then, her ear twitched. It flicked of its own accord, picking up on a tiny sound.

It was weak – impossibly faint – but it was there.

A slow, feeble beat.

Blake silenced herself as best she could, focusing on the sound, ensuring it was real.

Then, with inhuman speed, she straightened her posture enough to kiss Weiss again, breathing into her lungs.

 _Come on!_ she cried in thought. _Weiss...!_

"Ah-!"

A gasp of pain had Weiss flipping onto her side, her body twisting as she curled in on herself. Blake cried out in sheer relief, arms quickly going around the girl's back and chest to hold her in place.

"It's okay!" she whimpered. "Easy..."

Weiss could still feel a suffocating pressure around her neck, and a heat to match filling her body. But she soon realized that Cinder's hands weren't around her neck anymore.

In place of digging nails and tightened fingers were soft, gentle strokes.

Her eyelids fluttered open, struggling to keep themselves up.

Blake was there, and for a moment, she thought they were somewhere else, someplace kinder...

Weiss' head was cushioned in her lap, and there were tears on her cheeks that weren't her own. She could feel the hand on her neck, channeling a cool flow of aura onto her sore throat, the other hand combing carefully through her bangs.

And those eyes...

Those captivating golden eyes...

This could only mean one thing.

"B-Blake...?"

"Oh, thank god..."

Blake curled herself over Weiss and hugged her loosely, as best she could from this position. She needed a moment to convince herself that this was real and not just some hoax of her mind.

Weiss was trembling where she lay, still painfully short on breath.

Blake rubbed her palm in slow circles over the girl's chest to calm her. She just needed to make sure Weiss could breathe again, make sure her heart was really still beating-

"Oh, spare me."

That wicked voice spoke again, alerting Blake to the fact that Cinder was still down here with them. The Faunus girl straightened up, casting her gaze around until she spotted her, merged with the shadows.

Cinder had gathered the rapier and presently took a step forward with it.

Blake hissed a warning, pulling Weiss closer to her in defiance.

She knew Cinder couldn't kill them, but she could _certainly_ cause them immense pain.

She's just demonstrated as much with Weiss.

Cinder had ignored Blake's warning and continued to advance.

Blake's fury exploded in words.

"Get away! _DON'T TOUCH HER!_ " she roared.

She could already feel Weiss' pulse starting to fluctuate again, fearful in the face of Cinder's wrath. Blake drew her closer still, her lip curled into a snarl as Cinder approached.

But the witch didn't appear to be angry – or at least, not as angry as she had been before. There was impatience in her eyes, as though she were just trying to get rid of a few pesky insects that refused to perish.

She stopped a few feet away from them, dropping the rapier to the floor.

"Shut your mouth, you beast," she grunted. "I'll do whatever I please with her. Who are you to stop me? If I so much as _shout-_ " She intentionally raised her voice, filling it with vehemence.

Instantly, Blake heard Weiss shriek and felt her cringe in her arms.

Blake cursed under her breath, alarm shooting through her anew as she tried to hold Weiss down and slow her heart, rubbing gently. When Weiss had stilled a bit, Blake sent a look of sheer hatred up at the witch.

Cinder merely smiled.

"You see? I've trained her body well. I can have it kill her whenever I want it to. Of course, it would've been more fun to do it myself, but regrettably, that option is no longer available. What do you think, pet? Shall I continue to shout and curse her until her heart bursts from the panic? I'd like to see that."

Blake growled again, keeping her gaze locked on amber.

"Don't..."

"Oh, are you begging, you animal? Moments ago you shouted at me, and now you're begging? Truly pathetic. I should enjoy dragging this out for as long as possible. I've got plenty of time. Ten of your years is one of mine. I can always find a new specimen to do my work for me. I don't need _that_ one any longer, I've decided."

Her eyes flashed to Weiss, and Blake did her best to shield the girl from view. She didn't even want this _witch_ looking at her anymore.

"Listen, cur," Cinder went on. "I know what I'm going to do, but humor me. What do you suggest? If I like the idea, perhaps I'll consider it."

There were a million thoughts in Blake's head, but time wasn't on her side.

She could only think of one thing.

Her voice slipped out, firm with her decision.

"Take me instead."

She both felt it and heard it when Weiss gasped beneath her.

" _No!_ " she wailed.

Blake curled her fingers over the girl's chest, begging her to be silent.

Cinder turned an interested gaze upon her.

"Oh? Now what's this? Elaborate."

Blake cleared her throat and continued.

"Surely... there's a way for you to transfer the curse." Her eyes flashed down to Weiss. "Free her, and take me instead."

"No!" Weiss shrieked again. "Blake, _no!_ "

"Well now..." Cinder purred, her interest clearly piqued. "There's an idea I certainly hadn't considered. How amusing it would be to have a Faunus of my own killing her own kind under my command. Could you do that, pet? Do you really think you wouldn't mind killing all the ones I brought to you?

"You _do_ realize I plan on bringing every Faunus in Vale here to be slaughtered, one by one. Which of course means I'd eventually drag in your own precious parents."

Blake's breath hitched, and her eyes wavered.

Cinder laughed again.

"You see? You can't do it, _beast_. This is a task for the superior race, a task only a human trained by myself could complete. You are useless to me. And so is _she._ "

Cinder knelt down mere inches away, and Blake recoiled, snorting in disgust.

But the witch flicked a finger at her, and suddenly Blake's entire body went cold. Her hands froze at Weiss' collar, her legs rendered unable to move.

"Wh-What is this?" she demanded.

Cinder inched closer.

"Temporary paralysis. I don't want you interfering with my work anymore."

She reached one hand out towards Weiss.

Although she was restricted by whatever dark magic Cinder had cast upon her, Blake could still feel Weiss jolt in an effort to avoid that abusing hand.

Cinder scraped her nails against the side of Weiss' neck. Right where Blake's aura had just finished healing the wounds, Cinder remade them anew.

Weiss cried out again.

Blake tried to move, but her body was entirely frozen.

" _NO!_ " she cursed. "Get your hands _off_ of her!"

"I told you I'll do as I please," Cinder warned.

Her fingers danced over Weiss' collar, the Dust in her nails resonating with the Dust in the girl's dress, and Blake watched it flare golden again.

At the very least, Cinder wasn't choking her again, but judging by her tone, Blake could tell that what was to come would hardly be pleasant.

"Now then..." the witch hummed. "There was something you'd said before that caught my attention. Something about... breaking a curse? Now how did you plan on going about that? Do tell."

Her eyes were on her daughter's and they seemed to steal her breath even without the pressure of her hands on her throat.

Weiss flashed a scared look to Blake; the Faunus girl had spoken suspicions of how to potentially break the curse before, but she'd never specifically told Weiss what they were.

With imploring, desperate eyes, she asked Blake for help.

Blake ceased in her efforts to break the paralysis, her full attention focused on Weiss now.

"Think," she urged her. "Try to remember. What's the _only_ thing I've given you that she never did? You-"

" _Silence!_ "

With another flick of her unoccupied hand, Cinder cast a stream of purple mist directly at Blake's lips. Instantly, they were sealed together, preventing her from making another sound.

Weiss looked up at her in horror.

Blake was completely paralyzed now, save for her eyes. Weiss could still feel Blake's hands on her shoulders, but they were cold now.

The one at the base of her throat was hot.

Weiss winced as Cinder grabbed her by the dress and yanked her up, away from Blake's lap. Weiss knew Blake would've screamed if she could have.

Cinder forced her to sit up, until there were just inches between their faces. Weiss gasped and scrunched her nose at the stench of her breath, sharp and bitter.

"You can't break this curse," Cinder challenged. "You're _worthless_."

Weiss felt another harsh pang go through her heart at Cinder's rejection. Again, the panic seized her and she started to heave for breath.

It hurt immensely more now that Blake was unable to hold Weiss and tell her everything was going to be alright.

Weiss closed her eyes for a moment, trying to control herself. When she was able to open them again, she looked into the witch's gaze.

"Blake... she loves me..."

Cinder's nails dug deeper into the flesh of her shoulder, and the witch laughed again.

"Spare me!" she said again. "Love cannot break this curse, you little fool. She may love you, child, but so do I. Who was it that put food on your plate every day? Who was it that made you clothes and gave you water to drink? Who was it that gave you a bed to sleep in? Who was it that got you a pet of your own? Despite everything you may think, _that_ is love, my dear. You can't deny it."

Weiss' eyes flashed back to Blake's stricken golden pools.

Cinder was right. As twisted and abusive and traumatic as it might've been, Weiss couldn't deny that there _was_ a shred of love about it all. Deformed, perhaps, and meant only to trap her, but it was love nonetheless.

Blake's love was pure, warm, and gentle.

Blake's love might have been true, but even Cinder's hurtful display was a form of it to the slightest extent.

Weiss' heart pounded harder, and it hurt terribly, the ache having taken a constant residency within her chest. She was honestly surprised she hadn't grown numb to it by now.

She thought back on Blake's words before Cinder had forced the Faunus girl into silence.

 _Something Blake has given me... that Mother never has..._

She raked her brain as best she could while her body continued to burn slowly beneath Cinder's touch. She couldn't think clearly like this – the pain was overriding all cognizant thought.

As she'd said, Cinder had given her clothes, food, a bed to sleep in, some form of affection, and even Blake herself.

What had _Blake_ given Weiss that Cinder hadn't in all these years...?

Weiss simply started to mumble whatever came to mind.

"A... A chance at freedom..." she panted. "A-A reason to live..."

But with every failed guess, Cinder's nails dug deeper, drawing more blood.

Weiss' heart couldn't take this-

"A-Ah-!"

She threw herself forward, tearing Cinder's nails from her shoulder in the process. Her chest throbbed ferociously, her head spinning, vision black. She could hear Cinder laugh again - triumphant.

And she could feel Blake's gaze upon her, sorrowful and defeated.

Weiss had failed her.

Both hands clutched at her chest in a vain effort to slow her heart and douse the ravenous fire within.

Weiss could only manage to blink one eye open and find Blake's helpless gaze, her body still frozen in place. Weiss wanted to apologize.

"B-Blake... I'm-"

And then it hit her.

The one thing Blake had given her that Cinder never had.

She knew what is was.

Weiss refused to let herself die like this, not when she knew now how to put an end to all of this.

She forced herself to breathe - needy, gasping inhales and fast, heavy exhales.

Cinder was still laughing, kneeling in front of her now.

Weiss would put a stop to that.

To all of this.

She braced one of her palms on the stone floor, then pushed herself up, straightening her back, finding her words past the breathlessness that didn't relent.

"Y-You..." she gasped, giving her best glare at Cinder. "My... It's my..."

Cinder stopped her cackling for but a moment to hear the girl out.

"What now?" she chortled. "Speak up, girl! Tell Mother your last words so I may remember them in years to come."

"That..." Weiss panted. "You just... did it..."

Cinder's lips lost their upward curl.

"What now?" she growled.

Weiss took another deep breath, now letting her voice out steadily:

"My name."

This time, it was Cinder who froze.

Weiss held her gaze, feeling her own strength returning as Cinder's faded.

"You've only ever... called me those things. 'Darling', 'my child', 'my dear girl'. But not once... in all these years have you ever used my real name."

The witch's eyes grew wide, defiant and furious.

"Nonsense!" she snarled. "I needn't use your real name! You are my child, and I shall address you as such."

"Then what is my name?" Weiss challenged her. "You don't know it, do you? Because you took my memories! That man and that girl – they were my family! You replaced my thoughts of them with thoughts of you instead. You put your name into my head, but you never discovered what mine was!" she declared.

Her back straightened even more as she turned to look at the Faunus girl beside her.

"And Blake... Blake was always so careful all these years. She never once used my name in your presence, because she had an inkling. Even before she was fully aware of the curse you'd cast upon me, Blake always refrained from using my name in front of you. Because it's the only thing we had together that you didn't," she growled.

"I told Blake my name on the first day you brought her here... because I _knew_ she had no idea how to address me. But _you_..." She directed her piercing blue eyes into Cinder's wavering ones.

"I thought _you_ were my _mother_. I thought you _knew_ , so I never felt the need to _tell_ you. But in truth, you never knew, all this time. To you, I am nameless."

If Cinder's silence was any indication of her vexation, then Weiss knew she was correct in her declaration.

Her eyes scoured Cinder's, watching as the malicious fire of amber began to dwindle.

Until only one thing remained.

It was something Weiss had never seen in her eyes before, never thought possible in this woman, something Weiss herself had felt countless times before.

Fear.

"No..." Cinder hissed. "It can't be..."

Her voice grew despondent, detached and hollow as her gaze flicked to the ground. Her world suddenly froze, and whatever she'd once seemed to be in control of was now slipping away, piece by piece, shattering like shards of a mirror she couldn't hold in place any longer.

Weiss watched, flooded with a strange sense of calmness.

She wasn't scared anymore.

It was Cinder's turn to feel that.

Weiss moved herself a few inches away, closer toward Blake now.

As Cinder muttered curses to herself, her paralysis spell wore off on Blake, freeing the Faunus girl from her frozen state.

Blake's lips finally parted in a small sob, arms reaching out instantly to draw Weiss close to her. The white-haired girl was still trembling, her pulse still rampant.

But her eyes were unfaltering and confident, something Blake had never seen in her before to such an unmistakable degree.

For once, the same couldn't be said for Cinder.

Only a few feet away from them, the witch was mumbling more curses to herself, amber eyes flashing wildly about, wide and unfocused. Her crimson nails were alight with Dust, scraping haphazardly against the stone floor.

"No..." she whispered again.

Weiss glared a challenge at her.

"Then tell me," she demanded. "Tell me my name!"

" _No!_ " Cinder howled. She shook her head like a beast gone mad, fingers reaching up to tear at her own scalp and hair. Again, her eyes went to Weiss, huddled in Blake's arms, and the witch crawled forward. She dragged her hands out and down Weiss' shoulders with a shriek.

"I must... I _must_ know! Tell me what it is!"

The instant Cinder had come into contact with Weiss again, Blake growled and made an effort to swat her away.

But despite her enervation, Weiss offered a smile to the Faunus girl before giving her attention back to the witch.

"Never," she said levelly. "My name is only for Blake and myself to know. You may never have it."

"NO!" Cinder screamed loud enough to have Blake's ears folding back again, a steady stream of smoke coming from the woman's mouth. "Tell me, you wretched child! _I command you!_ "

But Weiss didn't listen – not to her, not anymore. She grabbed the witch's wrists and threw them off her shoulders without a care in the world.

"Never," she said again. "I don't have to listen to you, _Mother_. I'm not afraid of you anymore."

It must have been a combination of Weiss' words and her actions of physically thrusting Cinder's hands away, but Blake watched in shock as the witch recoiled.

Weiss was absolutely right.

The key now was not to fear Cinder any longer.

So she straightened her posture, lifted her ears, and kept one hand on Weiss' back to demonstrate her support.

"This is it, _witch_ ," she uttered. "It's over."

With a massive amount of effort, Blake managed to push herself up to her feet, stumbling a bit as she bumped into the wall. Her head was still throbbing, and streaks of dried blood still matted her face, hair, and clothes from where Cinder had scratched her.

But all things considered, she was steady.

Because they were finally going to leave this awful place.

Cinder was still writhing with her head in her hands on the floor, but Weiss couldn't stand on her own. Blake hastily bent down to wrap her arms around the girl, keeping her steady and alleviating a bit of the weight burden until Weiss found her footing. The girl's heart was still hammering, but the tears had stopped, and despite all that had transpired here, she could finally breathe again.

Blake pulled one of the girl's arms across her own shoulders, holding tightly to Weiss' wrist to help keep her standing, her other hand sliding behind Weiss' back to her hip.

Once ready, the two girls locked gazes for a brief moment.

"Blake..." Weiss whispered. "Does this mean... what I think it does...?"

Blake couldn't help but smile as she nodded.

"Yes. It means... we can finally leave this place."

But the tranquil moment was interrupted by yet another scream.

" _No!_ " Cinder yowled. "Don't you _dare!_ You can't leave this place! You must stay and _do my bidding!_ "

Both girls turned their gazes upon the witch. Shriveled, shrieking, and spastic, she was a shadow of her former self, an entirely different woman than the authoritative, predatory one they'd known for nearly a decade now.

The hunter had become the hunted, or so they say.

Blake felt a tug on her arm as Weiss bent down, and the Faunus cautiously dipped her torso to allow Weiss to do what she needed to. She picked up the fallen rapier with her free hand, her eyes still locked on the witch.

"Forgive me, _Cinder_ ," Weiss said.

And that word was what did it. The witch hearing her stolen daughter address her by anything other than 'Mother'.

Cinder screamed again, still crawling as she attempted to throw herself at the pair, nails outstretched and begging to dig into something.

But Blake was faster, and a swift side-step got both Weiss and herself out of harm's way.

As Cinder passed them, Weiss raised the rapier and took aim. She brought the blade down, piercing Cinder's crimson cloak, the tip then embedding itself into the stone floor. The witch was yanked backward, unable to move or free herself.

"Wretch!" she bellowed. "Release me at once!"

Her own hands were unable to pull the weapon free at the time; Cinder was too weakened now with her authority being ignored, and her curse was beginning to lose its power.

But Weiss looked down on her with steady blue eyes, gaining a new perspective over the witch that she'd never once known before.

"I'm sorry," she said.

And with that, she turned her back on Cinder.

Blake sent one last glare over her shoulder, but there was also a smugness to her expression.

She had plenty more she longed to say to this cretin who had kept Weiss and herself as prisoners for the past eight years of their lives. She had a plethora of curses she would've liked to utter upon the witch herself.

But for Weiss' sake, Blake said nothing and merely looked away from the crazed woman, heading toward the staircase.

There had been enough curses uttered here tonight to last a lifetime, enough words of hatred, enough pain. She refrained from using more of these things, because she didn't want them to be necessary anymore.

After so many years of abuse and trauma, she didn't want Weiss to have to hear those things anymore.

Cinder continued to howl and scream behind them, but as they bested the steps one by one, neither Weiss nor Blake ever looked back.

It was time for them to be free.

Together.

They stumbled up the final step, slipped out from behind the bookshelf, crossed the curtain-covered living area...

Then, they made it to the front door.

Blake reached out with one hand to unhinge the lock there, but she paused in reaching for the doorknob.

Weiss was shaking beside her, her chest heaving and eyes unfocused. Past the shredded, bloodied collar of her dress, Blake could still see the red X on her chest, though it was undoubtedly starting to fade in color.

The curse was broken.

She pulled Weiss into an embrace, both girls using the other for support as they let out disbelieving sighs and sobs in their last moments of imprisonment.

After all these years of having their wings clipped, they could finally unfurl them and fly.

"It's over," Blake murmured. "It's really over, Weiss."

"I just can't... I can't believe it..." she whispered. "We really... after all this time..." She pulled back, wiping her arm over her eyes, her white hair frazzled and knotted, face covered in tears and grime. But her eyes were alight and sparkling. "After all this time, we're finally free."

Blake nodded, bending down for a quick, soft kiss.

Then, she turned back to the door and opened it inward.

A cold, snowy breeze blew in past them, swirling around the mansion to make it ever colder.

Outside, night had fallen over the town beyond, snow blanketing all but the cement roads and sidewalks. A dozen or so streetlights illuminated the world in a faint yellow glow far beyond where the girls presently stood.

Blake was drawn to it all – their hard-earned freedom, freedom that had very nearly cost them their lives many times over. She had to admit that there had once been a part of herself that never believed they'd ever make it to this point.

But still, she hesitated, her eyes going back to Weiss.

The mark on the girl's chest was still there, as was the scar over her eye. Blake couldn't bear the thought of Weiss encountering that Dust barrier that surrounded the house again. She'd gone through far too much tonight, and Blake feared that even just a single additional spark of pain would kill her.

"Weiss..." she whispered. "Are you... are you sure you're okay with this...?"

When her eyes went to the scar, Weiss knew what Blake was fearing.

"Yes," she said firmly. "I... I've waited for so long... I want to be free. I want to go home."

 _Home_.

The word ignited a flame in Blake's heart, a flame that had once been doused so powerfully and so repeatedly she'd thought it had been smothered altogether by now.

But Weiss relit that flame, and it sent a pang of desire through them both.

Home.

They could finally go home.

With a nod, Blake directed her attention back to the door and the waiting world beyond - still, quiet, and cool.

But it welcomed them.

Keeping her arm around Weiss' back, she stepped forward slowly. Her boot passed the invisible borderline that crossed from the end of the mansion's foundation to the beginning of the world beyond. Her lungs filled with crisp, fresh, untainted air. A breeze danced through her tangle of hair, cooling her injured ears.

And Weiss felt it, too. The burning that had been assaulting her until now was finally pushed away by that breeze, and her lungs were blessed by that air. She followed Blake's footsteps, her small white shoes stepping out that door, one at a time.

There was a very slight resistance pushing against her chest, trying to force her back inside the mansion. It was nowhere near as repelling as what had hit her at the window so many moons ago. But even so, Weiss' breath caught in her throat, and the mark on her chest started to burn again.

Blake saw the change in her demeanor and immediately made a move to pull Weiss back in through the mansion door.

But Weiss shook her head.

"No!" she gasped. "Blake, _please_ -"

Her unspoken words rang loud and clear:

 _Just get me out of here!_

This was the final stretch.

Resolved, Blake gave a tug on the girl's wrist, just hard enough to send her through the invisible barrier of Dust. Weiss stumbled forward, her feet tripping over themselves.

And then the pressure was suddenly gone, as was the pain.

She was free.

Blake opened her arms toward the unbalanced girl, catching Weiss tightly in her arms. The force of the impact was light, but to their exhausted bodies, it was enough to send them both falling back into a pile of snow.

The cold instantly seeped into Blake's back and clothes, her ears shooting up tall as the sensations all registered. A few handfuls fell on top of Weiss' back as well, and the girl gasped again.

"Blake! It's so cold!"

But the Faunus girl hardly cared about that. The cold felt good after so many years stuffed away in that horrible place.

It was liberating.

With a loud laugh, Blake wrapped her arms around Weiss' back, squeezing her with a gentleness that spoke only a small fraction of her immeasurable love for the girl.

"We did it!" she laughed. "We're free!"

And only then did it seem to register with Weiss as well.

She looked down at Blake, then pushed herself up a bit to glance around them.

They were surrounded by dazzling white snow, there were a few streets not far away, and beyond that was the sleeping town of Vale.

And above them... above them there wasn't just a dull old ceiling anymore.

It was open, a vast expanse of black velvet skies and shimmering stars. The fractured moon hung overhead as well, casting its light down to have it reflect off the snow, making the world glow even at night.

It was so much more beautiful than the images she'd seen in those story books.

The words kept repeating in her mind.

 _We're free... we're free... we're free!_

After so many years, it was their first time outside together.

Weiss joined Blake in her merry laughter, but there were tears as well.

It was almost unbelievable. If not for the cold snow wreathing around them, both might've thought they were dreaming.

Weiss leaned forward to kiss Blake's lips, then her cheeks and her matted ears. When she pulled away, Blake was sobbing uncontrollably.

Weiss did her best to keep her own voice down, but Blake couldn't stop herself as she all but blubbered. Weiss sat herself up, taking Blake's wrists and helping her straighten up as well. She moved closer, her knees brushing Blake's, arms looping around her shoulders to pull her in. With one ginger motion, Weiss cradled Blake's head against her chest.

"We're finally free..." she breathed, her breath dyed white.

Blake nodded vigorously, hands clutching the girl's dress.

"Finally..." she gasped. "I... I kept my promise..."

Weiss nodded and kissed her ears in turn.

"Yes, you did. Thank you, Blake. _Thank you so much._.."

There was a lot more Weiss wanted to say, but she couldn't do much else right now except cry and hold her close.

It was the same for Blake, her ears flicking contentedly under Weiss' soft lips before one pressed close to the girl's chest. She could hear Weiss' heartbeat again, fast and excited, but no longer scared or in pain.

She listened for a while, savoring that precious sound.

When she finally pulled herself away, her eyes drifted down to the hollow of Weiss' throat. The X-shaped mark had faded into nothing more than a faint white line.

And then, it vanished before her very eyes.

Blake sobbed in relief once again, burying her face into Weiss' collar.

" _Weiss!_ " she wailed happily. "Weiss... your heart..."

The white-haired girl nodded. She felt it for herself, felt the sensation of the very last prickle of the curse as it left her body once and for all. It was as though a weight had been lifted, as though a fog had been cleared. After nearly a decade.

"It's free... My heart is free now, Blake. And it's all thanks to you."

Her curse was gone.

She never had to return to this place.

She didn't know what the rest of the world would be like, but she still had her life, and she still had Blake.

Everything seemed too perfect, but Weiss wasn't about to start asking questions.

After a time, it was Weiss who stood first and helped Blake up beside her. Blake noticed that the scar over the girl's left eye was still present and didn't seem to be fading at all.

But they could worry about that later, if it was even something to worry about. The disappearance of the mark on her chest signified without a doubt that Weiss was free from the witch's curse.

The dark magic didn't restrain her any longer.

She really _was_ free.

Blake really _had_ kept her promise, even after all this time.

Those thoughts caused her tender smile to return.

Once they'd limped back onto the pavement of the pathway and out of the snow, Blake demonstrated a mixture of adrenaline and joy as she lifted Weiss up into her arms and twirled her around.

And Weiss laughed – _laughed_ – and it was lighthearted and angelic and _beautiful_. She kissed Blake's hair, hugged her shoulders, and laughed.

When at last Blake put her down once again, they didn't need words, only gazes.

They kissed - fully and surely, warmly and freely - with naught but the moon and the stars as their witnesses. They kissed and cried amidst the stillness of the night, bits of snow still decorating their bodies.

Only when they were too breathless to continue did they finally pull apart, settling instead for kissing collars and cheeks.

Then, they began to walk slowly, following the small cement path that cut through the mansion's front yard. It would soon lead them to a street, which would eventually take them to town.

No cars passed by at this hour of the night. All was still and quiet, even the mansion they'd left behind.

Blake murmured to Weiss what they'd do; they'd go to Blake's old home first since it was closer, to see if it was still there, then ask around for information if it wasn't. If it was, they'd stay the rest of the night, and figure out the rest tomorrow.

Weiss simply nodded. She didn't care much for what they did anymore, so long as they were together.

Cinder couldn't touch them anymore.

They had all the time in the world now to find what they'd lost so many years ago.

And they'd do it together.

No matter the results, no matter what they found or didn't find, they'd stay together.

It was a promise.

* * *

 **A/N: And there you have it. The old promise fulfilled and a new one created, as well as the curse and the meaning behind the fic's title. Of all the guesses I'd received, no one had gotten it correct, so I take pride in that I could keep it a secret throughout the story! It was very tricky to write, I'll tell you that much, to never have Cinder say Weiss' name or even think it.**

 **Next is the finale at last. Thanks to all who read this far and will read to the end!**

 **Ch 10 preview: _"Blake," she'd told him. "My name is Blake. I...I used to live here, but... a long time ago I went missing. I was kidnapped, and so was she. But we're free now."_**

 **If you like my work, please support me on as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	11. Chapter 10 - Home

**Thanks for the little wait for this final chapter, guys. I'm so glad you all followed it this long! Thanks to everyone who's supported me for this whole fic!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 10. Home

All that night, Blake couldn't stop thinking about all she and Weiss had been through.

They limped their way to Vale, treading quietly through the town all the while.

Weiss' memories of her family were still hazy, though they were on the verge of returning now with the curse broken.

Still, it wasn't enough for her to remember where she'd once lived or what her last name was.

So Blake took her to the less-wealthy section of town where smaller homes were built and typically inhabited by Faunus families.

All was still and quiet until they were spotted by a man with a canine tail, sitting out in the night to watch the stars. He confronted them, though not maliciously, inquiring who they were and what they were doing out at such an hour.

"Blake," she told him. "My name is Blake. I...I used to live here, but... a long time ago I went missing. I was... kidnapped, and so was she. But we're free now."

The man's eyes widened, as if in realization, as though her words had sparked the memories of hearing about a young Faunus child who'd been abducted in broad daylight so many years ago.

Incredulous, he nodded and hurriedly stood.

He took them past Blake's old home, informing her that her parents had moved since then, to a different house.

They were both still alive, but had lost their smiles along with their daughter on that fateful day so many years ago.

But as soon as Blake hobbled up to the door with Weiss at her side and gave a knock, that all changed.

Her father answered the door, dressed in a sleep robe with his black hair scraggly and ears back, clearly miffed at having been woken at such an hour.

But the second he saw her, he fell silent.

Shock.

Confusion.

Then _relief_ like nothing they'd ever felt before.

Shortly afterward, his cries alerted Blake's mother, who quickly come running to his side.

There was no mistake about who was standing there on their doorstep.

She was familiar. _So_ familiar.

Blake's mother looked the girl over, inch by inch, from ears to toes,

Her eyes lingered on that familiar purple bandana.

And the two adults choked out a tearful whisper:

" _Blake_..."

They threw their arms around her and wept, the entire family collapsing to its knees.

And Blake hugged them back fervently, _fiercely_ , wailing into their clothes like any lost child who had finally been found.

"Mom... Dad... _I'm home_..."

That embrace...

It shattered the years of pain and agony they'd suffered through, replacing it with love and warmth.

And all of it, irreplaceable.

As the three of them wept tears of the utmost joy, Weiss thanked the man who helped them, and after wiping a few tears of his own, he respectfully took his leave.

Weiss stood there in the doorway, her heart swelling at the sight of Blake's reunion with her parents, her face already drenched by warm wetness.

Only after Blake's parents had composed themselves enough to speak and stand did they usher the two girls inside, helping them to stay on their exhausted feet. They brought them through a humble living room and had them sit on the couch together.

Blake's mother prepared them all tea and fetched a few slices of bread for them, which the girls gratefully accepted. The Faunus woman then grabbed wet towels and a bottle of disinfectant to clean up any visible wounds on them.

Blake told them all she could manage at the time. She told them about the witch, about the kidnapping itself, about how Cinder had stolen Weiss away as well.

She told them of the horrors they'd seen together, of the curse and how they'd eventually come to have broken it.

At one point, her parents moved to sit on Blake's other side and simply held her and one another for a long time.

When they parted at last, the sun was rising, and Weiss had slumped back and fallen asleep at the Faunus girl's side.

Blake's parents insisted their daughter get some rest as well, as much as she needed. Her father scooped Weiss up into his arms, and her mother helped Blake hobble through the house beside him.

They stopped at a door that seemed to have been closed for a long time.

Upon opening it, Blake's mother revealed a small bedroom, where the blankets were clean, but untouched.

"After we moved," she said. "We simply couldn't have asked for a house without this. We never gave up hope that one day you might come home..."

Blake merely hugged her close and cried.

Blake's father laid Weiss down onto the bed before kissing his daughter leaving the room. After that, Blake undressed herself, and her mother did the same for Weiss. The woman gave Blake a fresh pair of clothes - some of her own older ones to wear - and she slipped Weiss into a fresh nightgown.

With murmurs of love and wishes of sweet dreams, Blake's mother kissed her daughter goodnight for the _first time_ in a decade.

Then, she quietly left the room, praying she would wake again later to find this wasn't all just a dream.

Blake stayed awake for a while longer, even as the sun rose over the wintry world. Her ears flicked as she listened to her parents' hushed voices, still sobbing on occasion in the next room over, and then speaking excitedly.

Her heart beat fully, calmly, and warmly.

She was finally _home_.

She curled onto her side, draped an arm over Weiss, and fell asleep at long last, breathing in the girl's familiar scent...

. . .

And she woke to the present scene.

A room filled with sunlight and color, several windows all letting in rays of warmth and brightness.

Weiss continued to sleep soundly, and Blake didn't disturb her.

After all, never before had they ever slept or woken together in a room where they were completely free of fear and pain.

It must have been midday or early afternoon, as she could smell food being prepared in the kitchen, and heard her parents moving about, surely preparing to greet Weiss and herself as soon as they got up.

It was so strange to wake here in this foreign room, the room that should've been the one she'd been waking up to for years now, but had never even known until a few hours ago.

She was excited to see the rest of the house - _her_ house. She was excited to finally start her new life.

But she didn't want to begin without Weiss.

Everything else could wait for her, but she would only wait for Weiss.

As the white-haired girl slumbered in the meantime, Blake flashed her gaze down to Weiss' still form, scouring her chest for any signs of red.

But the mark was gone, truly and entirely.

Unable to suppress a smile, she laid her head over Weiss heartbeat and listened for a long while.

Her eyes flicked about the room, noticing a few trinkets and toys that had belonged to her in her childhood years, things her parents had made sure not to leave behind. She took in the little bookshelf across the room, the windows, the dresser, as well as a closet.

She wondered what kind of memories she might've had here if Cinder had never kidnapped her all those years ago, if she'd never been forced to leave her parents...

But of course, that would've meant she never would have met Weiss, nor would she have been able to help her.

And she never would have fallen in love with her.

Blake soon found herself crying softly once more, still baffled and overwhelmed by it all. She hugged Weiss loosely, savoring that familiar scent in her lungs, and that rhythm beneath her ear. One hand rubbed subconscious circles over the girl's stomach, in the spot where Weiss had stabbed herself about half a year ago now.

A little less than another hour passed by in this manner, before the pulse beneath her ear quickened ever so slightly, and a tiny, tired sound escaped Weiss' throat. Her deep breathing soon turned into livelier breaths, and Blake pushed herself up to allow the girl to move.

At first, when Weiss blinked open her eyes, there was only confusion in them as she gazed about the unfamiliar room.

But the second blue met gold, everything came rushing back to her.

"Blake..."

The first thing Weiss did was sob her name, followed by a needy hug and a gentle kiss. Blake held her for a while, petting through her hair, and in turn feeling careful hands caressing her ears.

After a time, she coaxed Weiss into a sitting position beside herself.

"You up for some breakfast?" Blake wondered.

With a nod and a smile, Weiss wiped her eyes yet again.

After staggering out of bed, Blake kept her hand around Weiss' as she led the girl to the kitchen area.

Her father – who had been reading the newspaper at the table – stood instantly to embrace Blake, and her mother wasn't far behind.

"Come, sit down," she insisted. "I've made eggs, and we've got fruit as well."

Blake remembered her mother had only ever made eggs in the past for very special occasions like birthdays, or when one of Blake's parents had found new work.

She and Weiss gratefully took seats at the humble table and began to eat slowly, their first meal outside of the mansion in years.

Once Blake's mother had sat down as well, her father cleared his throat.

"Now then, I think you two ought to know..." he began.

Blake looked up from her meal, sharing a puzzled glance with Weiss before looking back to him.

"Know what, Dad?"

His eyes went back down to the newspaper in his hands before he turned it around for them to see.

"Your mother and I called the police last night to report everything. But it turns out, before they could even get up to that mansion, it had already burst into flames. There's nothing left now but ash."

Again, Blake and Weiss met one another's eyes, but there were no words to be said about it. They could only pray that the witch was gone for good and wouldn't be destroying any more families in the future.

Once they'd finished eating, Blake's mother encouraged them both to bathe.

Blake had Weiss go first, and in the meantime, she sat in the living room with her parents as they told her about the hardships they'd faced since the day she'd been taken. After falling into a horrible depression, their closer friends had eventually convinced them to keep going, to live with the faith that one day Blake might come back to them.

With that renewed strength in mind, they'd found work and had been able to save up enough money to purchase a new house, small as it was, but they'd never once forgotten about Blake.

"The whole town heard about it when Schnee's daughter got kidnapped," her mother sighed. "It was assumed the kidnapper merely wanted a ransom. Her father offered three million lien to whomever had taken her, but no one ever came forward to return her in exchange for the money. No one ever thought the person who'd taken her would ever want Faunus children as well. I... I can still remember that _look_ in her eyes when she ripped you from my arms..."

Her mother started to weep softly, and Blake moved close to hug her. From there, her father took over the conversation.

"Schnee's been a broken man ever since," he said. "Hardly ever shows his face around town anymore. He's always locked up in his study, trying to love his other daughter enough for the both of them. He fell ill not to long ago, I heard, and I'm not surprised."

Blake's ears drooped, and she watched as her father's eyes flicked to the bathroom door.

"We should let her rest here for a few days," he went on. "But then I think you should take her to her father. He's been missing her for five years longer than we'd been missing you. He needs her back before it's too late. Poor man's past his limit already."

Blake understood, and she agreed to her father's words decisively.

Once Weiss had emerged from the bathroom, dressed in one of Blake's mother's old black sun dresses, the Faunus girl marveled at her appearance, her damp, silvery hair contrasting the fabrics of the vestment.

Blake's mother composed herself and offered to brush Weiss' hair for her as Blake took her turn in the bath. But even from there, she could hear the words Weiss spoke to them:

"Do you know anything about my father?" she asked them timidly. "I can't remember much, only that I had him... and a sister, too."

Blake listened to her father's soft response.

"Yes. We know of him. He's still around. And your sister, too. She's always been looking for you. Never rested for a day since you went missing."

Blake's mother's delicate voice came next.

"To this day, they both miss you very much."

Blake's ears flicked as Weiss spoke again.

"I miss them, too. My father and my sister... I miss them terribly."

"Don't worry," Blake's mother soothed. "You'll be home before you know it."

Blake sighed as she sank into the warm water up to her shoulders, letting the ends of her hair soak.

Her mother was right. Weiss would be home soon.

But then... what of them?

What of the relationship Blake had built up with Weiss? What of their love? Were they going to separate now?

She knew it was awful and selfish, but a part of her didn't want to bring Weiss back to her father.

But Blake was fully aware of how horrible such thoughts were, and though they passed through her mind, she never for a second intended to actually go through with such a thing.

A few tears dripped into the bath water, and Blake wiped her eyes before dipping her head under.

Once she'd finished and dried herself off, she put on a warm pair of pants and a sweater her mother had laid out for her. They fit Blake perfectly.

By then, evening had already fallen, and after a light dinner, Blake wished her parents goodnight and kissed their cheeks.

She then led Weiss back to her room, insisting they get a full night's rest tonight.

"Tomorrow we'll just rest up and continue to get our strength back," she told her. "I'll help my mom make big meals. Then we'll sleep another night, and the next day I'll take you home."

Weiss nodded, both anxious and excited to finally return to her family.

The two girls laid down in bed, and it was the first night where Cinder's presence didn't seem to be hovering over them both. An intangible burden had been lifted, that much was for certain.

They cuddled close for a few minutes, nuzzling into shoulders, petting ears and kissing scars. Whispers of love were exchanged between them, and they soon drifted off into a real slumber, unplagued by nightmares or coldness.

There were no chains any longer, and at long last, their lives were ahead of them.

* * *

The following day passed just as Blake had predicted.

She and Weiss rested up a bit more, regaining their strength and indulging themselves with the meals Blake's mother prepared for them.

A few of Blake's old acquaintances stopped by briefly at about midday to see her and confirm for themselves that she was truly home after all this time.

Among them was Adam, the person she considered her big brother, and the second Blake saw him, her jaw dropped. The skinny, lanky, boy she'd once been known to play with out in the streets was now at least half a foot taller than her with broad shoulders and a muscular build.

He'd been a stoic child for the few years she'd known him, but upon seeing her again after so long, he too, was overwhelmed by shock.

Blake went to him, simply throwing her arms around his torso as he wrapped her in his strong arms.

"Adam..." she whispered. "It's really you..."

"Look at you, Blake," he said. "Even after everything you've been through, you still came back to us. You're really incredible. I'm so proud."

She shed a few silent tears against his shirt, and they talked together for some time before the boy ultimately took his leave for the day.

All the while, Weiss had been sitting on the living room couch, reading. Blake returned to her side, having the smaller girl lean into her.

She wanted that for Weiss, too. She wanted the girl's old friends and family members to be able to see her alive and well again.

She wanted to see Weiss _that_ happy, as happy as Blake herself felt right now.

She promised it would only be a little longer now...

The rest of the day passed by, and they both bathed once more, enjoyed dinner, and eventually curled up for bed.

It was only when she was in Blake's arms that night when Weiss confessed her fears to her.

"What if... they don't remember me...?" she whispered.

It didn't take Blake long to figure out what she meant, and the Faunus girl pulled her closer.

"Of course they'll remember you. You're family."

"But... But what if they don't want me back? What if they've been better off-"

"Don't say that." Blake stopped her with a small kiss to the lips, swallowing the rest of Weiss' concerns. "You know they want you back. Remember what my dad told you? Your father's missed you every day since you've been gone, and your sister's been looking for you day and night."

"...You really think so?"

"I _know_ so."

Blake emitted a small purr for a little while, helping to soothe Weiss enough until she'd closed her eyes.

It was just a few kisses and "goodnight, sleep well" murmurs more before the girl drifted off.

Blake savored her warmth, shifting a bit so that Weiss may lay on top of her. She savored that gentle, familiar pressure against her chest, locking her arms around the small of Weiss' back to keep her there.

Blake closed her eyes, breathed in her scent, and soon joined her in slumber.

* * *

The next morning was bright, and the two girls woke early, both too excited to sleep in very long.

Blake's mother gave Weiss another old dress to wear, this time a sky-blue one.

"Please keep it," she insisted with a wink. "It was never really my color anyway."

Blake put on a pair of long black pants and a dark violet sweater. She brushed Weiss' long hair for her that morning as they waited for breakfast, and Weiss opted to leave it down for today. She took the liberty of brushing Blake's hair as well, being very careful near her ears.

They took turns in the bathroom, ate breakfast, and then it was time.

Weiss stood before Blake's parents and bowed her head deeply, thanking them for their hospitality to her these past few days.

"Oh, please, dear!" the woman said. "There's no need for such formalities. We'd have done the same for anyone who brought our daughter back to us."

"And," the man added. "I should tell you that you've got our official welcome. You may stop by anytime to see Blake, as it's clear you two are... involved."

He grinned, and Blake's entire face turned red.

"D-Dad!"

"I'm not wrong, though!" he laughed.

Blake rolled her eyes playfully at Weiss, and the latter smiled.

"Thank you." Weiss dipped her head again. "I'll certainly be coming by every so often. I really... do love Blake."

Blake's parents fell silent, covering their smiles with their hands and even tearing up a bit.

Blake was touched as well, by the fact that Weiss could admit such a thing in front of them. The Faunus girl hugged her briefly and kissed her hair.

After that, they headed to the front door, preparing to venture outside.

It was then Blake realized something.

"Hold on a second." She tugged on Weiss' wrist to prevent her from opening the door. "We... I mean aside from a few nights ago, we haven't been outside in almost _ten years._ And before, it was at night. I think the sunlight might be a bit much..."

Surely, Weiss' skin was exceedingly delicate and would burn, and Blake didn't fancy the thought of turning red, either.

Her mother stepped in, holding up a finger before hurrying off. She returned a minute later with a small, pink parasol.

"Your father bought it for me when we were dating," she said, handing it to Blake.

"Mom..." Blake sighed, blushing a bit.

"We'll take very good care of it," Weiss reassured her pleasantly. "Thank you again."

Blake opened the parasol, positioning over both Weiss and herself, though she leaned it more toward the other girl just to be safe.

Weiss reached the door, and with a few more waves over their shoulders, the two girls stepped outside.

The town was still covered in a bit of snow here and there, and a cold breeze cut through the air. But when the wind wasn't blowing, the sunlight was strong and warm.

Blake kept her free arm around Weiss' back, drawing her close and keeping her away from the street-side of the sidewalk. Her father had given her directions as to where Schnee's house was located, and it was about a ten-minute walk from here.

All the while, Weiss was silent, likely nervous and lost in her own world of thoughts. Blake rubbed the girl's back a little, ensuring she was shielded from the beating rays of the sun.

They passed many people, especially when they neared the marketplace, and Weiss was sure to keep close to her companion.

It was when they'd traveled about halfway to their destination and just gotten past the market when Blake's ears swiveled and flicked at the sound of... strangely familiar voices.

For the past ten years, she'd only ever heard Weiss' and the witch's voices.

So to hear voices _other_ than those that were _familiar_ to her could only mean...

She turned around swiftly, coaxing Weiss to do the same.

"It's them..." she mumbled, stunned.

Weiss followed her gaze and gasped.

Two girls were playing together a little ways down the sidewalk. The taller one with blonde hair was trying to fit a banana sideways into her mouth to make it look like a smile. The shorter one was laughing hysterically, making an effort to balance a red apple on the tip of her nose.

Weiss' eyes went wide when she saw them.

"Th-That's... ah, Ruby and-"

"Yang!" Blake's voice was raised intentionally, calling out to her.

The blonde girl heard her name and removed the fruit from her mouth, and her little sister ceased her antics as well. The pair looked around, until they'd spotted the two other girls.

Weiss and Blake watched the shock come over their expressions, eyes going wide as they muttered a few words together. Then, they dropped their fruits and raced forward towards Blake and Weiss, screeching to a halt just a few feet away.

"Whoa! Oh my gosh!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Is it... is it really you guys?" Yang wondered. "F-From the mansion? Holy shit..."

"Yes," Blake nodded. "It's us."

It felt very strange to admit. These girls were the only other people in town - in the whole _world_ \- to have ever been in that mansion, known its horrors, and gotten out alive.

"Wow..." Ruby gaped. "You guys made it..."

Weiss spoke up next.

"It's good to see you two are doing well."

"Oh yeah!" Yang lowered her voice to a whisper. "Don't worry! We kept good on our promise. Never told a soul. But... how the hell did you guys...?"

"It's a long story," Blake said, not wanting to revisit the events or make Weiss recall them. "But we escaped. I just went home to see my parents, and now I'm taking Weiss home, too."

"Oh my gosh!" Ruby exclaimed. "That's incredible! After all this time, you're finally gonna go home! I'm so happy for you!"

"Thank you," Weiss smiled.

"Your guys' stories are gonna be all over the news by tomorrow!" Yang said. "Everyone in town's gonna be talkin' about your coming home after all this time! Didja hear, though? Apparently, that whole mansion burnt down the other night! But it only reached until the very end of the property and didn't go so much as an inch past that. How the heck does a fire event start in the middle of the winter?"

"And they said they found nothing but ash!" Ruby continued. "Like, no furniture, no bones, no nothing! Just ash!"

Blake and Weiss shared a glance, but neither could make a certain assumption about what had transpired the night after they'd left.

Evidently, their unease was noticeable, because Yang pulled her little sister back a step.

"Anyway, at least you guys weren't inside when it burnt. And it's all over now, huh? Well, that's awesome. Because I honestly had trouble sleeping some nights just 'cuz I'd think about you two, still trapped there..."

"Well, now we can all sleep easy," Blake reassured her.

"Yeah. That's great. I'm so glad you guys are alright now."

The four girls came to an unspoken agreement to move into a brief embrace. They hadn't been together for long in the past, but something told them they might be seeing more of each other now in the future.

With a few final words and farewell wishes, Ruby and Yang headed off back toward the marketplace and scooped up their discarded fruits. The other pair fondly watched them go.

"I'm glad they're alright," Weiss sighed.

"Yeah. Me, too."

Blake made an effort to keep them moving toward the Schnee residence then, but Weiss didn't seem ready just yet. She'd grown still, her face downturned and eyes slightly watering.

Blake dipped down a little to catch her eye.

"Weiss? Are you okay? What's the matter?"

Weiss brought a hand to her face and shook her head.

"I just... remember seeing them for the first time... like that..."

Blake's ears drooped. She understood.

The first time they'd ever seen the sisters, they'd been tied up and bound, shivering and terrified in the corner of that dreadful dungeon of a basement.

And Weiss had been ordered to kill them.

That incident had been the reason behind the scar on her stomach.

Without a word, Blake walked Weiss to the side of the nearest building and drew her close. One had continued to hold the parasol, but the other clung to Weiss' back, rubbing small circles as the girl wept quietly into her shoulder.

"It's alright..." Blake murmured. "That's all over now."

She let out a slow, rumbling purr for Weiss, knowing that it calmed her. The girl sighed again, keeping her arms looped around Blake's neck to keep herself on her feet.

Blake kissed her ear, then moved a bit to let her lips meet the scar on Weiss' eye. The action seemed to remind Weiss of new worries she'd been entertaining in her thoughts.

"And that..." she whispered in reference to the scar. "Why is it still there? The other one she gave me went away, but why not this one? I remember my father and my sister now. I remember a bit of those first few years I spent with them. So why...?"

Blake nuzzled her head against Weiss', brushing their cheeks together softly.

"I think... the other one disappeared because we broke the curse," she murmured. "That witch, she... she marked you with it to keep you inside that mansion for sure, but once the curse was broken, it had no purpose anymore. So the scar faded. As for this one... I'm not sure why it's still there," she confessed. "But it doesn't hurt, does it?"

"...No," Weiss shook her head. "It never did."

"I think that's how she stole your memories," Blake guessed. "But just because you got them back now doesn't mean the scar will go away."

"Oh..." Weiss' voice was fragile, almost ashamed.

Blake pulled her closer.

"But that's alright. It's been a part of you for as long as either of us can remember. Don't hate it, Weiss. Love it. Accept it. Because it's a part of you."

The conversation was very familiar, but Blake was more than willing to go through it again.

"It's proof, isn't it?" Blake went on. "Proof of what you lived through, proof of what you overcame. You survived that awful place for so many years, and this scar is a reminder that will remain forever." Blake planted a light kiss over the pink line, just above Weiss' brow.

"You're so strong, Weiss. You saw a lot of terrible things. You went _through_ a lot of terrible things. You went through a _lot_ of pain. But you never gave up. _You made it._ "

Weiss didn't know why she started to cry again, but she did, clinging softly to Blake once more.

"It's... because of you, Blake..." she whispered. "I only found the strength to go on... because you were beside me. I wouldn't have made it otherwise. So... thank you again."

Blake nodded, a few of her own tears slipping free.

"It's the same for me, Weiss. If you hadn't been there with me, I wouldn't have made it."

It was Weiss' turn to kiss her cheek, and Blake could feel the smile in her lips now.

"But we _did_ make it," Weiss breathed, blinking open those dazzling blue eyes. "We both did."

Blake nodded.

"We did."

They shared a quiet kiss as the tears dried in the cool, winter air beneath the parasol, and despite the breeze they were both undoubtedly warm.

After a moment, Blake slipped herself back into place at Weiss' side, leaning the pink parasol over their heads.

"We've got somewhere to go," she reminded her.

Weiss wiped her eyes and nodded.

"Yes. Indeed we do."

The initial hesitance was gone now, and Weiss only longed to see her family again.

They continued onward down the sidewalk, passing a few dozen more people before the bakery shops and clothing buildings turned into houses again.

Blake looked at the numbers on each of them, searching for the one her father had told her to look for.

As for Weiss, many things came rushing back to her as they walked.

She remembered playing in this part of town when she was very, very young. She'd play with her sister and her father, or they'd all simply gone on walks together. She recalled her father had often been a busy man after his wife had passed, but he'd always make time for his daughters.

A few minutes later, Blake spotted the designated house.

It was quiet - motionless - as though it had been waiting for something for many years now to come along and breathe life back into it.

She caught Weiss' eye and nodded toward the house. The shape was familiar to Weiss, though the white color had turned a bit grey over time.

"Well..." Blake murmured. "This is it. Are you ready?"

Weiss was trembling slightly, but she nodded her head with unmatchable determination.

"Yes," she declared. "I've been waiting... for _so_ long..."

Blake nodded.

Together, they walked up the small sidewalk that led to the front doorsteps, the grass here also covered in a bit of snow. They bested the steps together, keeping close.

Once they reached the door, Blake did the honors of ringing the bell.

Weiss stood stiffly at her side all the while, her heart hammering so hard she knew Blake could hear it.

There was a moment of silence.

Then, Blake's ears flicked at the sounds of movement from indoors.

There was a click.

The door opened slowly, revealing a man in a white business suit. His hair was light grey, his eyes darker so, and dull. His cheeks were sunken in and spoke of many sleepless nights.

He was the definition of exhaustion, and Blake truly believed her own father's words that this man must have been gradually falling ill.

But the second he saw the pair of girls – even before he could speak so much as a word of greeting or inquiry – his expression changed.

His eyes went wide, and a small sparkle appeared in them, a sparkle that seemed to have been lost for a decade until this very second.

It was disbelief at first, and Blake feared he might turn them away or something of that nature.

But he never did such a thing.

The disbelief almost immediately melted into recognition, and something else.

Joy.

Pure joy.

His weary lips parted, and a single word was produced.

"Weiss..."

It wasn't a question.

He knew who she was.

His daughter's posture was rigid, her eyes already threatening water as she looked up into his.

And her response was what had Blake's tears overflowing as well.

" _Papa!_ "

Weiss had never known him long enough to change or formalize the way she addressed him.

But he didn't care at all.

He opened his arms, and his little girl threw herself into them, wailing louder than her voice had ever gone before.

The man got to his knees, sobbing as he held her, unable to speak.

Blake took a step back, wiping her arm over her eyes as she watched such a heartwarming, empowering scene.

"Welcome home, Weiss," she murmured.

A moment later, another pair of footsteps had her ears flicking, and when she looked up, there was another girl in the doorway. She had grey hair tied into a tight bun, a bit darker than Weiss', a more professional-looking face, and deep azure eyes.

Blake recalled her name was Winter.

She too cried out her sister's name and instantly collapsed to her knees to embrace her.

Their father pulled them both close, speechless as he lived the moment he thought he'd never see.

Heavy hearts were lightened pound by pound until they were weightless, elated, and nothing short of soaring.

The family of three cried for a long time, but Blake didn't mind.

They needed this. All of them. Even _she_ needed it.

But more than anything, _Weiss_ needed this.

Blake was more than content to watch her have it.

Finally.

 _Finally_.

She was home.

The tears continued for a while longer, until their eyes had all gone dry. Weiss' father got back onto his feet, helping Winter up with him while Blake supported Weiss.

He brought them all inside, the older sister rushing into the kitchen to prepare tea for them all.

Weiss found her home was much the same as Blake's, if perhaps a bit bigger.

But there was a bedroom for her, too, one she'd shared with her sister in younger years. There were bunk-beds, the bottom one a bit ruffled, but the top one pristine and unused.

It had been waiting for her all this time.

They followed her father to the living room where they all sat down on various couches and furniture. Winter brought them their tea, and at last, they heard Weiss' story.

By the end of it all, her father had stood again and crossed the distance between them to wrap her in another hug. Winter went to Blake, formally thanking her profusely for all she had done for Weiss.

"There's no need for that," Blake assured her. "Your sister saved me, too."

By tomorrow, Blake's and Weiss' story would be passing through every pair of lips in town; their kidnappings, their years of confinement and solitude, their lives as prisoners to a witch who was presumably - but not proven to be - dead...

But also their tales of courage - how they'd overcome every hardship together through faith and purity, how they'd found strength in one another and fallen deeply in love.

Weiss' father was more than happy to hear of their relationship just as Blake's parents had been; they all knew the two girls had been through so much together, far much more than anyone could ever imagine.

But now, even if they didn't necessarily _need_ to be together anymore, they _wanted_ to be, and that said more than enough.

Weiss' family thanked Blake again that evening before she took her leave, and again she insisted there was no need for gratitude.

Weiss led her to the door and pulled her into another tight embrace.

"Thank you, Blake..." she whispered. "I know you said I don't have to say that, but I don't know what else I _can_ say. You saved me, you gave me a reason to live... and you brought me home. Just like you always promised you would. So _thank you_..."

Blake lifted the girl up slightly, nuzzling into her collar and kissing the spot over her heart in a familiar habit.

"Thank you, Weiss," she said, twirling her once before setting her back down. "You taught me true strength and true love. You made me into who I am today. I'd be nothing without you. And you brought me home, too. _Thank you_."

She hugged the girl once more, sighing into ivory tresses. Weiss sniffled, her voice cracking a little.

"I'll... I'll see you again tomorrow, okay?"

Blake kissed her scarred cheek.

"Of course you will. And every day after that."

"Okay... I just feel... it will be hard to sleep without you."

"I know," Blake murmured. "But before long... I promise you we'll have a home of our own. Just the two of us."

Weiss gasped softly.

"B-Blake! Did you just-"

"What? Did you honestly think I wasn't going to propose at some point?" she chuckled sheepishly, blushing pink as her ears flicked. "I'll have to find work so I can pay for a ring, but Weiss..." She grasped the girl's hands in hers, kissing the backs of them before continuing. "There's no doubt in my mind or in my heart that you're the person I'm going to be spending the rest of my life with."

Her golden eyes shimmered with nothing but the truth.

Weiss reciprocated with a heartfelt smile of her own and a warm kiss to her cheek.

"Alright..." she said. "So then, you already know my answer."

Blake nodded and hugged her again.

Their lips met each other's again, conveying things that words never could.

Their hearts beat as one, full and strong.

When they parted, Weiss brushed their noses together.

"Then... I'll see you tomorrow."

"And every day after that," she promised.

Blake looped both of her pinkie fingers around Weiss' and gave a little squeeze.

"I love you, Weiss."

"I love you, Blake."

Their names would forever be engraved into each other's hearts, along with the storybooks painted over their lives, the memories dancing in their minds, and the soft kisses pressing on their lips.

* * *

 **...**

 **A/N: Thank you all _so much_ for following through and reading until the end. I know it was a rough journey, but we all made it through! It's be a fun few months posting it for you guys!**

 **I tried to add in Winter a bit more in this final chapter, since we now know about her character in the canon. And it's always nice to imagine their father being a nice guy, and Blake's parents being a nice couple.**

 **Again, I hope you all enjoyed this story with me! Thanks for reading!**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


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